A Minor Detail
by callieeefornia
Summary: *ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO JK ROWLING* An AU, in which one minor detail changes everything for Sirius and Harry. It's the summer after third year and Harry is coming to terms with the idea of having someone that cares for him and loves him how a parent would.
1. Truth

A/N: I probably shouldn't do this, considering I still have two unfinished stories I'm working on, but I really like the idea. It's been done before, but I'm hoping it'll be unique. Read, review, and check out my other three stories!

*Note: In this version, Ron does not get injured by being dragged into the Whomping Willow. To be honest, I forgot that detail until I finished the chapter, and I just don't see any point in going back to add it in. I am also aware that in the books, Hagrid technically pulls Harry out of the ruins at Godric's Hollow. I'm changing that detail simply because this is AU and I want to lolz.

"Believe me, I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them." Sirius pleaded with Harry. At last, Harry nodded - he trusted him.

"No!" Pettigrew moaned, agonizing. His last chance at escape had been sealed shut at Harry's affirmation. "Harry, please," the pathetic man squeaked, reaching for the boy's ankle from his position on the ground.

"Get off, me." Harry spat, looking at the man with disgust.

"We should go," Remus said, staring nervously at Snape while he magically tied up Pettigrew. "If Snape wakes up before we get to the castle, things will be significantly more difficult for us."

"I'll levitate him," Sirius said, shooting ropes out the end of his wand to tie up Snape as well.

Harry walked over to Hermione and Ron, then followed Remus, Pettigrew, Snape, and Sirius out the door of the shack and down the passage to the Whomping Willow.

In this silence that followed, Harry thought he had never been in a stranger group. The only sounds he could hear as they walked down the path was Ron's heavy breathing and Pettigrew's grunts of exertion. Harry had a feeling the man hadn't been in his human form in a long time.

"So, Harry-" Sirius started, turning his head around to look him in the eyes. Snape's forehead scraped the ceiling, but Harry got the impression that Sirius didn't care much. "I don't know if anyone ever told you, but I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that." Harry said with a nod, remembering the awful feeling he had when he overheard Professor McGonagall explaining that to Rosmerta. The relief he felt now that he knew the truth was abundant.

"Well, you know, James and Lily wanted you to be with me, should something ever happen..." Sirius said slowly, watching Harry closely for any signs of embarrassment or discomfort.

"What, you mean, come and live with you?" Harry said, hope blossoming in the pit of his stomach. The thought of having a godfather that was best friends with his own father was exciting, but the idea of leaving his Aunt and Uncle seemed too good to be true. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Well, of course, I'll understand if you don't want to-" Sirius said, looking at the ground in his haste to reassure Harry.

"Are you crazy? Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Do you have a house? When can I move in?" Harry asked excitedly.

Sirius expression changed into a huge grin, one of the most genuine smiles Harry had seen the man make. He could almost see the handsome guy in his parent's wedding photo standing in front of him. "Do you mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry said, mirroring his godfather's grin.

Sirius turned back around as they approached the end of the tunnel, a newfound exuberance in his step. Harry wondered how so many people thought he was a raving, murderous lunatic; he was so full of life, especially to have been locked up for so many years.

Once they were all out in the open and away from the swinging branches of the Whomping Willow, they formed a circle, Pettigrew and Snape in the middle.

"Alright, so I think it's best if I take you three, Pettigrew, and Snape inside. I'll explain the entire situation to Dumbledore, and come back out to get you once it's safe, Sirius. There are too many dementors looking for you around the castle, you'll be kissed before we can even explain the situation." Remus said, searching the skies for any signs of the terrible creatures.

Sirius nodded. "Of course, I'll go back to the Shack and wait for you lot."

Harry felt his heart constrict - he had been offered a home, but what if something happened to Sirius before they could get back to him? He didn't want to leave the man.

All of the sudden, a bright, shining light came down upon them, and the group was staring into a full moon.

Remembering what they had just discovered in the shack, Harry turned to Lupin. The man was staring into the sky, his bones quivering, drool dripping out of his mouth.

"Moony… Remus did you forget your potion?" Sirius asked, pushing Harry, Hermione, and Ron out of the way so he could get to his friend.

Harry heard a rustle behind them, and turned to see Pettigrew begin to shrink to the size of a rat - he was going to get away.

"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled, stunning the man. Pettigrew flew backwards and landed onto the ground, unconscious. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed to secure the ropes around the man, hearing snarls and growls behind them. Harry assumed Sirius had changed to his dog form to keep Moony at bay.

Hermione turned around and screamed; Lupin was running at them, lifting his hairy fist up to claw. The black dog charged at the wolf, successfully knocking him off course and into the Forbidden Forest.

"Sirius!" Harry yelled, attempting to chase the pair into the woods, but Hermione grabbed him.

"No, Harry! You could be killed in there. Besides, Sirius won't be free if we don't get Pettigrew to Dumbledore." Hermione reasoned, levitating the man with her wand.

"What good is his freedom if Lupin kills him?" Harry asked angrily, staring with worry in the direction his godfather had gone.

"You heard them earlier, Harry, they used to do this all the time when they were at Hogwarts! Come on, we need to go before Professor Lupin comes back. Ron, will you levitate Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, already leading the way back up towards the castle.

With one last, dejected look towards the forest, Harry followed his friends to the castle. He tried to think through the best way to explain the situation to Dumbledore; he was really beginning to worry that the headmaster wouldn't believe them and Sirius would be kissed anyway. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his godfather when he had only just met him.

The familiar chill of a dementor creeped up his spine as they approached the castle doors, Harry shivered, keeping his head down. He knew dementors guarded the gates and he could produce a patronus should he need to; regardless, he would be perfectly happy if he never had to be near one again.

The Hogwart's doors swung open, and Professor McGonagall rushed outside. "You three! What's this… who's-" McGonagall looked as if she had seen a ghost when she noticed Pettigrew levitating in front of Hermione. "That's impossible…"

"No, it's not," Harry said, stepping forward, determined to help his godfather. "This is Pettigrew. Sirius was framed. May we please speak to Dumbledore."

"I… well…" McGonagall stumbled over her words, attempting to make sense of what was in front of her. Then, she straightened up and nodded in McGonagall-esque style. "Of course. Potter, Granger, follow me with Pettigrew. Weasley, please take Professor Snape to the hospital wing… I don't know what happened to him, but he looks as if he needs rest."

Ron looked disgusted at having to help his least favorite professor, but nodded nonetheless. Harry and Hermione had to practically run to keep up with McGonagall, who had now taken over the job of levitating the still-unconscious Pettigrew. They raced up the steps to the stone gargoyle, and McGonagall was immediately granted entry.

"Albus, we need to get Cornelius and Amelia here now. Look who Potter, Granger, and Weasley found." McGonagall said, dropping Pettigrew onto the floor of Dumbledore's office.

"Is that…" Dumbledore began, standing up to move closer.

"Pettigrew, alive and well. Harry insists Black is innocent, though I don't know how he came by this claim-"

"I talked to Black-er, Sirius… and Pettigrew. I heard Pettigrew confess," Harry insisted, looking between the two. "Please, trust me. I believe Sirius, I don't think he betrayed my parents."

"I want to get the story straight before we involve the Ministry." Dumbledore said, gesturing towards the couches and chairs surrounding where Pettigrew lay. "Have a seat and tell me what's happened. I'll lock the door so we don't have any unwelcome visitors."

Harry looked nervously out the window - he hoped that Lupin hadn't hurt his godfather. They were so close to securing his freedom, Harry could almost imagine him packing up to actually go _home_ this year, to a place that was happy and fun. A place like his parent's house would have been…

"Right," Dumbledore said, sitting across from them. "Do tell."

"Well… we went to comfort Hagrid before Buckbeak's execution," Hermione started sadly. Harry could hardly believe that had happened earlier that day - it seemed as though it were ages ago.

"When we were leaving, Ron dropped Scabbers and he ran off. Ron, of course, chased after Scabbers and ended up falling in front of the Whomping Willow. That's when a big, black dog appeared. He went after Ron, or at least, that's what we thought. He dragged Ron into the tunnel under the Willow, and we followed." Hermione said, looking to Harry for back up.

"We got in the Shrieking Shack and we found out that the dog wasn't actually a dog - it was Sirius. He is an animagus, and so was my dad… and so is Pettigrew." Harry added the last part angrily, looking down at the man that was still unconscious.

"They became animagi to help Professor Lupin," Hermione added.

"An impressive feat," Dumbledore said, a small smile on his features, "though I wish they had told me. Continue."

"Right, well, I tried to attack Sirius because I thought he had betrayed my parents. But then Professor Lupin showed up and got me off Sirius, then explained everything. He told us about how they became animagi to help with his lycanthropy, and Sirius explained what happened the night my parents died. He said he was supposed to be a decoy - everyone thought that he was the secret keeper, and the death eaters would come after him. The real secret keeper was Pettigrew, but he was actually a Death Eater. He told Voldemort their location and then framed Sirius." Harry said, feeling his blood pressure rise.

"Sirius went after Pettigrew to kill him because he was so angry. Before he could though, Pettigrew shouted that Sirius betrayed James and Lily and blew up the entire street, before cutting off his finger, changing into a rat, and running away. Then… well, I suppose you know what happened after that." Hermione said sheepishly, turning to look at Harry.

"In the middle of them telling us what happened, Snape came and threatened to turn Sirius in… so we, er, might have used defensive magic on him. That's why he was so beat up when we brought him back. He would have had Sirius kissed, though!" Harry exclaimed, looking between the professors.

"I see," Dumbledore said gravely. McGonagall frowned and turned to Dumbledore to see what he thought. "Regardless of Snape's actions, you should never attack a professor; the circumstances being what they were, however, I think we will let it slide." The headmaster remained quiet for a moment, before turning to Harry. "You believe Sirius's innocence, I take it?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, completely. He's telling the truth, Pettigrew said it himself. Will Sirius be free?"

"I think that it was smart of you two not to bring Sirius here with you - the Minister would attack first and ask questions later if he saw him. I also think that he has a case, especially if we could get veritaserum to question Pettigrew with-" Dumbledore said, interrupted by Harry.

"What's veritaserum?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"A truth potion," Hermione explained, looking to her professors for confirmation. "The strongest one there is - if Pettigrew testifies under that, there's no denying it. Sirius would be free."

Harry felt a bubble of hope erupt in his chest; perhaps things would finally go his way. "So what are we waiting on? Bring in the Ministry!"

Dumbledore chuckled as he turned to Fawkes. "Get Cornelius and Amelia here as soon as possible," he said to the bird, gesturing for it to fly out the window. Harry watched as the crimson colored bird disappeared into the darkness, thinking about how, in a few hours, his life could really change - there was a chance he might not ever have to see the Dursley's again.

His thoughts were interrupted by McGonagall's question. "Where is Black, then? We need to know for when the aurors want him questioned."

Anxiety begin to swell up inside Harry - he had no idea where Sirius was, or if he was still alive. What if Lupin had hurt him? And why would the aurors need to question his godfather if Pettigrew was going to admit the truth first?

"He's preoccupied," Hermione said quietly, looking at Harry with worry. "Professor Lupin, um, forgot to take his potion. He transformed and Sirius saved us by fighting him and eventually chasing him into the Forbidden Forest.

Dumbledore frowned, but before he could say anything, Cornelius Fudge stepped out of the fireplace and into the room, looking slightly agitated. "What is it now, Albus? First the hippogriff got away, what do you need at this hour that can't wait until morning?"

Harry and Hermione looked at one another quizzically - the hippogriff got away? Before they could think on it further, the Minister's surprised yelp caught their attention.

"Is that? There's no way…" Cornelius said, shaking his head. Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had also been brought in, and she looked equally as shocked.

"Albus, is that Peter Pettigrew?" She asked, stepping closer.

"It is, and I can assure you that he is alive. I insist that we use veritaserum on him, I think there's more to Sirius Black than we've been thinking the past twelve years." Dumbledore said, levitating Pettigrew onto a chair and tying him to it. "Madame Bones, do you happen to have any on hand?"

She nodded and stepped forward to administer the potion before reviving the man.

Pettigrew's glassy eyes opened, and he looked around at the faces in front of him with fear.

"Are you Peter Pettigrew," Amelia asked.

A squeak and a nod. "Yes, I am."

The minister looked as though he might faint. Amelia turned to Dumbledore, recognizing that he should probably ask the questions.

"What happened on October 31, 1981?"

"I told the Dark Lord where James and Lily were - I gave him the secret that lead to their death and I betrayed them." Pettigrew said lifelessly.

"How did you do that? Sirius Black was the secret keeper for James and Lily Potter," Dumbledore asked, stepping to the side so the Minister and Amelia could watch.

"No, we switched. Sirius thought that he was too obvious of a target and that he could act as a decoy. They made me secret keeper, not knowing that I was a death eater. I told the Dark Lord their whereabouts." Pettigrew said, his glassy eyes sweeping across the room.

"And what did you do after you discovered that Voldemort had met his downfall?" Dumbledore asked.

"I fled - I knew Sirius would come after me, as well as a lot of the Death Eaters. The Death Eaters thought that I knew he would die if I sent him to the Potter's and they wanted revenge for me destroying their master. Sirius knew I had given up the Potter's secret and wanted to kill me to avenge his best friends."

Dumbledore nodded and turned to the Minister and Amelia. "Am I forgetting anything?"

Both shook their heads - Amelia looked solemn and Fudge looked worried. Surely convicting the wrong man for twelve years would not look well on the Ministry.

"All we need is Black's account under veritaserum so we can clear this situation up for good," Amelia said, stunning Pettigrew again and sitting in a nearby chair.

"Why do you need Sirius?" Harry asked, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. "Isn't this proof enough?"

Amelia smiled kindly at Harry and shook her head. "We just want all the details from both sides so that we know for sure before we convict. Unless Black's story under veritaserum doesn't match Pettigrew's, his interrogation will simply be a formality."

Harry nodded, though he was still uncomfortable with the idea of his godfather coming so close to the head of the DMLE.

Amelia stood and walked over to Harry, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I won't take your godfather from you unless he really is guilty. I assume that's what you're concerned about?"

Harry nodded, looking over to the window. Before he could respond to her, he noticed a cold mist was forming over the glass. Rushing over to look outside the window, Harry saw an awful sight - hundreds of dementors, all heading towards the Black Lake, where his godfather lay, unconscious.


	2. Freedom

Harry didn't waste a second - he ran as fast as he possibly could down the stairs, through the corridors, and out towards the Black Lake, only the thought of his godfather's freedom keeping him going, despite the presence of the dementors surrounding him.

He heard the voices of his professors and the ministry people behind him, but he did not stop. As he neared the Black Lake, he didn't slow down. His wand had ended up in his hand somehow from where he had kept it in his pocket, but he didn't question it. He simply prepared himself.

Perhaps it was his adrenaline and determination, or maybe his desire to leave the Dursley's, but what Harry did next astounded all those who followed him. Harry shouted the familiar incantation, focusing on his exuberance at being offered a home, an actual home, away from the Dursley's. The thick white mist flew out of the end of his wand, and a gigantic, white stag erupted, driving all the dementors away from Sirius, despite his distance from the patronus.

Once all the dementor's had fled, Harry rushed to his godfather's side, hearing whispers behind him from the minister and Amelia bones.

"That was the strongest patronus I have ever seen!"

"Is that what you're teaching the third years now, Albus?"

Under normal circumstances, Harry would have appreciated the praise, especially from the Minister himself; however, he was more concerned with the fact that he might have been too late.

"Sirius!" Harry gasped out as he reached him, falling to his knees. "Wake up, wake up…"

"Harry," Dumbledore said gently, grasping the boy's arm and pulling him away. "He'll be okay, we'll take him to Madame Pomfrey and she'll wake him up."

"So, he hasn't been kissed then?" Harry asked worriedly, looking at the man's worn facial features.

"With the patronus you just conjured, I don't think the dementors even had the chance to perform the procedure." Dumbledore reassured him, conjuring a stretcher and levitating the man onto it.

"Cornelius, Amelia, is there anything you needed from Mr. Potter or Mrs. Granger? I heard their testimonies, and they are very convincing." Dumbledore said, leading the group back towards the castle.

"We might need them if we choose to do a formal trial for Pettigrew, which will probably have to be done-" Amelia started, only to be cut off by Fudge.

"No, no, no, my dear Mrs. Bones, a formal trial? That would bring so much negative press to the Ministry! Not to mention, we've already been ridiculed so heavily for letting Black free for so long. This needs to be a private affair. If Black's story matches Pettigrew's, I say we throw Pettigrew into Azkaban and give Black compensation, then think up a story for the Prophet about explaining Black's innocence." Fudge said, looking to Dumbledore for confirmation.

"Though I do agree that this situation will look poorly on the Ministry, a formal trial might be best in this situation. The public will respect you for doing what is right, Cornelius. After all, it wasn't you that threw Sirius into prison, it was the Minister before you." Dumbledore reasoned.

"Why is a formal trial necessary if Sirius has already proven his innocence?" Harry asked, panic clutching at his heart. He didn't know much about wizard court, but for muggles, the jury decides the prisoner's fate. What if people couldn't look past the lie they had believed for twelve years about Sirius and he went back to prison anyway?

"Harry," Dumbledore said kindly, placing a bony hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry - if Sirius is proven innocent tonight, he will not go back to Azkaban. Do I have your word Mrs. Bones? Minister?"

Amelia smiled. "Of course, I won't allow for any injustice." Fudge nodded as well, though his wasn't nearly as confident as Mrs. Bones'.

Feeling slightly reassured, Harry followed the adults out of the forest and up to the castle, Hermione at his side. As they reached the front entrance, Hermione left to find Ron, and told Harry to come join them after everything was over; however, before she left, Harry noticed that Dumbledore had whispered something to her. Not thinking much of it, Harry followed the adults as they took Sirius to the hospital wing, where a confused Madame Pomfrey revived the man.

Slowly, Sirius opened his eyes, which still had the haunted look from his years with the dementors. He tensed when he noticed that the Minister was in front of him, but then Dumbledore stepped closer and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. Recognizing the familiar and gentle face of his old headmaster, Sirius croaked out a question. "Harry?"

"I'm here," Harry answered, stepping from behind the Minister.

Relief crossed Sirius's worn features for a moment, then panic. "I don't want him to see me get the dementor's kiss-"

"You aren't being kissed, Sirius. At least, not yet. Mr. Potter and Mrs. Granger brought Peter to my office and we heard his account under veritaserum. As long as your story matches his, you will be a free man. Do you consent?" Dumbledore asked gently, gesturing for Mrs. Bones to pass the small vial of clear liquid to him.

"Yeah… yeah, of course." Sirius said, still looking slightly confused, yet determined.

Dumbledore nodded, then moved to administer the potion. Harry watched closely as his godfather's eyes glossed over and the tension swept out of him.

"Minister, would you like to question Mr. Black?" Dumbledore asked, stepping aside so that Fudge could stand where he had been.

Fudge stepped forward, giving Sirius a wary look. "Who are you?"

"Sirius Orion Black, Eldest of Orion and Walburga Black, Lord of the House of Black." Sirius said easily.

"What happened on October 31, 1981?" Fudge asked, getting right to the point.

"My best friends were murdered by Voldemort. I went to Godric's Hollow after realizing Peter was not where we had planned for him to be, and I found their house in ruins. I pulled Harry out of the rubble and had planned to take him back to my place and flooing Remus for help. Then Hagrid showed up and said he had orders from Dumbledore to take him to the Dursley's. I had told him no, that Lily would hate to for him to be sent there, but Hagrid was adamant. I said my goodbyes to Harry; then after they left, I figured I had nothing left if I didn't have my godson. I decided I would kill Pettigrew because he was the traitor that led Voldemort to Lily and James." Sirius said evenly, staring at the Minister.

"How was he the traitor?" Fudge asked, his voice trembling.

"We had decided a while prior that me being the secret keeper was too obvious. It needed to be someone Voldemort wouldn't expect, so that way if I was caught, their secret would be safe. We didn't know Pettigrew was a death eater and he turned them into Voldemort once the secret was transferred." Sirius said, his fists clenching the covers.

"What happened when you went after Pettigrew?" Dumbledore interjected, wanting to get the entire procedure over with.

"I found him, but before I had the chance to curse him, he shouted about how I was the one who betrayed James and Lily, then blew up the street. We were animagi, so he was able to cut off a finger, change into a rat, and run away. I was so distraught and surprised, I was in hysterics when the aurors found me." Sirius said simply.

"Any more questions, Cornelius? I believe that answers everything and we have an arrest to make." Dumbledore said, smiling at Sirius gently.

"I suppose not… I just can't believe all this has happened. I don't know where to begin with clearing this up." He turned to Mrs. Bones. "Should we hold Black until the proper trial? Seeing him on the streets could cause concern…"

"No!" Harry said angrily. "You said he wouldn't go back to Azkaban if he was innocent!"

"Harry," Sirius said gently, gesturing for him to come closer. Harry stepped to the man's bedside, still bristling at the injustice of the situation. "I can handle a holding cell - it's in the Ministry and there won't be dementors. I can shower, eat normal food, and be significantly more comfortable than I have been. Don't worry about me."

"But what about…" Harry trailed off, looking pleadingly towards Mrs. Bones. He had just met his godfather. What if the trial took weeks to conclude? He wouldn't get to spend any time with him and he would have to go back to the Dursley's, at least until the situation cleared up.

Smiling at Harry, Mrs. Bones shook her head. "A holding cell won't be necessary, Minister. After all, you would be depriving Mr. Potter something that he's missed out on his entire life. They deserve to spend some time together. Though I agree, Sirius," she said, turning towards the man, "that you shouldn't go out in public until this affair is over. Do you have a place to stay until the time comes?"

Before Sirius could respond, Dumbledore interjected. "He is welcome to stay in staff quarters at Hogwarts. We can get a room set up for him and Harry can visit him for the duration of the term."

"What about when summer starts?" Harry asked worriedly.

The familiar twinkle disappeared from Dumbledore's blue eyes. "We will discuss that later. Now, Sirius, perhaps you would like some dreamless sleep potion?"

Sirius looked up to Harry. "Will you be alright?"

Harry nodded, then stepped back as Dumbledore handed Sirius the potion. He watched as his godfather took a few sips, then settled down to rest for the evening. Before submitting to sleep, the man reached forward to grasp Harry's hand. "I'll see you in the morning," he said gently, before closing his eyes.

Harry unclenched his godfather's hand, then followed Dumbledore, the Minister, and Mrs. Bones out the hospital wing.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Why don't you go check on Mrs. Granger and Mr. Weasley? I'm sure they're wondering what has happened."

Recognizing his cue to leave, Harry nodded and turned to head back to Gryffindor common room. When he arrived, Ron and Hermione were situated in arm chairs by the fire.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, walking to him. "What happened? Is Sirius alright?"

"He's fine, he took dreamless sleep and is resting now, I reckon. He told the truth under veritaserum and he's technically free. He has to do a formal trial with Pettigrew for the public, but the Minister is allowing him to live at Hogwarts until the trial." Harry explained, already excited to spend some time with the man.

"That's great, Harry." Hermione said, and Ron nodded enthusiastically beside her.

"Any news on Snape?" Harry asked Ron, walking over to the arm chairs.

"Nah, Madame Pomfrey just said he needed rest, but he would wake up soon and be fine." Ron said with a shrug, flopping down into his arm chair.

Harry nodded and settled into his own chair. He thought back to how crazy the day had been, between Hermione hitting Malfoy, Buckbeak's execution-

"Wait, Hermione remember when Fudge said Buckbeak escaped? How do you reckon Hagrid managed that?" Harry said, sitting up straight.

"Wait, Buckbeak escaped?" Ron asked, surprised.

Hermione squirmed nervously, looking as though she were searching for the right words to say. "Er… as it happens, Hagrid didn't help Buckbeak escape. I did…"

"What? How? You were with us the entire time," Ron accused.

"Right, I was," Hermione assured him with a nod. " _Then._ But… well, okay, don't tell anyone about this please. I wasn't supposed to say anything. The ministry gave me a time turner so I could take all my extra classes this year. Dumbledore had me use it to release the Buckbeak before Fudge got to him… it was difficult though, I almost didn't think I could do it."

"Wow… Hermione, that's brilliant!" Ron said excitedly. "Hagrid will be so happy. How'd you do it?"

"I untied him from where he was in the pumpkin patch and re-tied him to a tree in the forest. Dumbledore said he would instruct Hagrid on where to find him in the morning. Then I just waited out my time until I needed to get to the common room."

Harry leaned back in his chair, feeling about as happy as he could remember; he had a godfather, and one that wasn't a crazy, raving lunatic, and Buckbeak was saved from Malfoy's injustice. Not to mention, the man who really was at fault for his parent's murders was going to be in prison. Things were finally going his way.

The rest of the evening passed by smoothly, and as Harry said goodnight to his best friends, he couldn't help feeling entirely content about the circumstances.


	3. The Start

A/N: I promise I'm working on the other two stories too… I just love this idea. Read, review, enjoy!

Now that exams were over for the third years, Harry had a little over a week to do whatever he wanted at Hogwarts before term ended. The following morning, rumors were going around at breakfast about what _actually_ happened the previous night; Ron, Hermione, and Harry were being questioned over and over again.

 _Is Sirius Black really your godfather?_

 _Is Peter Pettigrew really alive?_

 _Did you really meet Sirius Black and escape?_

For Harry's part, he tried to keep quiet about the details; he didn't want to do or say anything that could jeopardize his godfather's freedom. Nonetheless, he was excited to see the man again, though he wasn't sure when he would be able to.

About halfway through breakfast, he got his answer. Hedwig brought him a small bit of parchment. Scrawled on the front in what Harry presumed to be his godfather's handwriting was a note:

Harry,

Please join me in my quarters anytime after breakfast this morning. It's located in the defense corridor, near Moony's classroom, behind a frame of a black dog (I know, very original of Dumbledore). The password is "Mischief Managed." I hope to see you soon.

-Sirius

Harry grinned widely before beginning to shovel food in his mouth in his haste to meet his godfather again. He had so many questions to ask him, so many things he wanted to know about the man that was supposed to raise him. Once he was finished, he bid Ron and Hermione goodbye before rushing out of the Great Hall and towards the defense corridor. He walked up the hall slowly, searching desperately for the portrait of the black dog Sirius had mentioned.

However, when he reached it, he was beginning to have doubts. Was it polite to just barge in without knocking first? Sirius had told him to, after all, but he really didn't know the man all that well yet-

Harry was spared the decision; the portrait door swung open and Lupin appeared, a warm, yet tired, smile on his face. "Morning, Harry. Come on in."

"How'd you know I was here?" Harry asked suspiciously, stepping into a cozy looking kitchen and sitting room.

Lupin gestured to the open map on the kitchen counter. "Sirius told me you were coming sometime this morning, so I thought I'd keep an eye out. And, being as I'm no longer your professor, I don't feel guilty returning this to you. James would be disappointed if you didn't have it."

Harry took the parchment, but looked up at Lupin with disappointment. "What do you mean no longer my professor? You got sacked?"

"No, I resigned," Lupin said, sitting down at the table. "Snape _accidentally_ told all the Slytherin students about my condition this morning. Howlers will be coming in anytime later this afternoon, and I didn't want to put Dumbledore in that position."

"What? But you were the best defense teacher we've ever had! Why would Snape do that?" Harry said indignantly, sitting down beside Lupin.

Lupin smiled, but shook his head at Harry. "I suppose Snape wasn't happy about Sirius's innocence. We told you last night about the prank Sirius pulled on him. I guess he felt like he needed to get us back somehow."

Harry nodded, though he was put-out from what he had just discovered. "Where is Sirius, anyway?"

"I just helped him cut his hair, then I think he was going to hop in the shower. Madame Pomfrey did some magical dental work on him this morning and gave him a few nutrition potions while he was in the hospital wing. I think you'll be surprised at how much better he looks. He was really bad off when you saw him last night. He's been asking about you all morning though." Lupin said kindly, watching with amusement at the goofy grin that was spreading across Harry's face.

The two made casual conversation until Sirius stepped out of his room. The change, Harry thought, was enormous. Sirius's black hair was cropped around his ears, almost shorter than Harry's, and his bangs fell just above his eyes with an easiness Harry would never achieve with his own mop of hair. He had shaved his facial hair, and now only had a light stubble across his jaw line. His skin was no longer a pale gray, but instead flushed a healthy color. He was dressed in nicer clothes, dark denim jeans and a black, long sleeved shirt, which made him look like his younger self. He was also taller than Harry remembered him to be; however, he still looked too skinny and his eyes still had their haunted look. Harry hoped these things would change over time.

Sirius smiled warmly at Harry when he noticed the boy scrutinizing him. "Better, yeah?" Harry saw what Remus meant by the magical dental work when his godfather spoke - his smile was white and straight, the same smile that laughed in his parent's wedding photo.

Harry smiled back at his godfather and nodded.

Sirius looked to Lupin as he walked to the table. "I reckon Moony looks a good bit better than he did last night too."

"Oh, shut it," Remus said, rolling his eyes. "I still can't believe you - we hadn't spoken in twelve years and the first thing you said to me last night was a joke about my lycanthropy."

"It was my way of trying to figure out if you believed me, or if I was about to be handed over to the dementors," Sirius said, grinning despite the dark subject matter. "After all, if you hadn't gotten there when you did, Harry would have done me in."

"Er… sorry about that." Harry mumbled sheepishly, looking at the floor. "I thought-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Harry." Sirius interrupted, his grin sliding from his face. "I wouldn't have expected you to react any other way, given what you believed to be true."

"Right," Harry said, looking up at his godfather before feeling a need to change the subject. "So… have you gotten word on the trial?"

"Yes, actually, I got a letter from the ministry this morning." Sirius said, passing Harry the parchment. "It's going to occur on Wednesday and continue until the case is finished. Dumbledore doesn't anticipate it lasting longer than a few hours, though you never know. A lot of people won't like that I'm free, even if I'm innocent. Speaking of which, I promised you something once I was free and I want to talk about that."

Harry felt his heart clench - was Sirius taking back his offer of a new home?

"I want you to come live with me still, but I'm surprised you agreed so quickly. Do you not like living with your aunt and uncle? I know Lily didn't want you to go to them, but I figured they were decent if Dumbledore insisted that you live with them." Sirius questioned. Remus looked at Harry, concerned.

Harry, however, felt relief. His chance at a new home wasn't gone. "I hate living with the Dursley's," Harry explained. "They hate magic, they lock my things up in the cupboard every summer so I don't use them. They also treat my cousin as if he's the prince, when really he's just a pig with blond hair."

Sirius and Remus both cracked a smile, but they still didn't seem at ease. "Is that all?" Remus asked gently, wanting Harry to confide in them.

"I mean, they've just never cared much for me. I always had to wear hand-me-downs from Dudley, never got presents, slept in the-" Harry stopped immediately, not wanting to say too much and worry the two men.

"Slept where?" Sirius asked, his eyes narrowing at hearing how his godson had been treated.

"Just… in the smaller bedroom. It was supposed to be Dudley's playroom, but honestly it was fine. Dudley wasn't happy when he lost the room though-"

"Wait, I thought Dudley and you were the same age?" Remus asked, realizing Harry wasn't telling them the entire truth. "You went to them when you were a baby, how would Dudley be old enough to care whether he lost the room?"

"Er… I…" Harry felt panic grip him. It's not that he cared that much about whether Lupin and Sirius knew about the Dursleys, but what if the two men went after them? Sirius was so close to gaining his innocence, Harry didn't want to tempt him into doing something illegal. "It's really nothing. I mean, my childhood wasn't the best, but I'm alright. I just don't want to go back."

"If it's nothing, you would really tell us where you slept while you lived there." Remus prodded.

"I- I told you, in the smaller bedroom." Harry said.

"Where did you sleep when Dumbledore first took you to the Dursley's," Sirius said, catching on to where Remus was going.

Harry knew he had to think quickly. "If I remember right, they just kept me in a cot in the living room until I got too big and needed a bed. That's why Dudley was so upset about losing his room. Nothing too bad," Harry explained, relief flushing through him. It was a weak explanation, but it was believable.

Both men looked suspicious, but nodded nonetheless. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sirius spoke. "Well, when I have my trial, I'll give you the best birthday you've ever had. How's that sound?"

Harry felt a rush of gratitude towards his godfather for changing the subject, and nodded. "That sounds brilliant."

"Sirius, you're spoiling him. Lily would have had your neck if she knew you bought him that Firebolt last year-"

"What? You got me that?" Harry asked, excitedly. "Why?"

"Remember when I said I went to watch you at quidditch?" Sirius started, waiting for Harry to nod. "Well, I saw you fall - it almost gave me a dog heart attack, by the way. Anyway, I saw that your broom was destroyed and wanted to get you something for Christmas. Consider it thirteen Christmases worth of presents from your godfather."

"Thank you," Harry said, genuinely surprised. "Hermione was right, then. She had the broom taken from me so that McGonagall could see if you had cursed it."

"Hermione does seem to be a pretty clever witch," Sirius said, chuckling. "Can't say I blame them, my record wasn't looking very good at the time."

"So… when you're free, where are we going to live?" Harry asked, wanting to know more details.

"Well, I'm not able to go house hunting until I secure my freedom, but I was thinking somewhere near Hogwarts. McGonagall and Remus have told me about your penchant for trouble here, and I figure it might be smart for me to be close by. Not to mention, Hogsmeade is nice town, I think we'd enjoy it in the summers. I'm sure you've been there this year, though." Sirius said with a smile.

"Actually… I didn't get my permission slip signed. Uncle Vernon said he wouldn't sign it, unless I behaved around his sister. I might have accidentally… turned her into a human balloon." Harry said sheepishly, looking down.

Sirius and Remus stared at Harry for a moment, then burst into laughter. "So that's why you were on the street that night I saw you on Privet Drive?"

"That was you?" Harry asked, surprised again, but laughing nonetheless. "All this time, I thought the grim was following me around!"

Sirius smiled apologetically. "I just wanted to glimpse you, I'm sorry if I gave you a fright. But hey, I'll sign your permission slip. There's one more trip this weekend, right? If the trial goes well and is finished up, I can go with you."

"Brilliant!" Harry said happily. The three continued to chat about anything and everything for the rest of the morning. When Harry left Sirius's quarters that afternoon, he actually felt excited for the summer holidays, a feeling that had been foreign to him the past two years.


	4. The Trial

The day of the trial came quickly, and despite Harry's protests, Sirius didn't allow him to attend. This caused the pair's first actual argument.

"I want to go and support you," Harry said frustratedly, plopping down in an arm chair in Sirius's sitting room. "I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, that's gotta be good for something! The public might think higher of you if they know I trust you."

"Yeah, or it will bring you into a mess of unnecessary publication by the Daily Prophet. Besides, I don't want you to be subjected to all of the name-calling they'll be throwing out at me. The public opinion of me, despite my supposed innocence, is not a good one. It won't be a pleasant thing to sit through." Sirius reasoned, tightening the dress robes Remus had brought him from home.

"Why are you treating me like a baby? Why can't I make this decision on my own?" Harry asked angrily.

"You can," Sirius said with a shrug, brushing his hair into place and then sitting across from Harry at the table.

"Really?" Harry asked suspiciously. He had spent the past three days with Sirius, and learned the man had both a great sense of humor and sarcasm. There was a good chance Sirius didn't mean a word of what he said fifty percent of the time, and this was no exception.

"Sure, you can decide to come. I'm not your legal guardian yet. However, you'll have to find transportation to the ministry on your own, and face it, mate, you don't know your way around London, much less how to actually get there. Once there, you'll have to deal with both the press and the large amount of people that will be in attendance, and all of them will want to talk to you. This is the biggest trial since the war ended, so I would estimate that thousands of people will be there, and most of them will have a bad opinion of me, and will want you, famous Harry Potter, to agree with them. You'll have to deal with all of that with no back-up or help from anyone else. Then, once my freedom is granted, I will have guardianship over you and I _will_ ground you for coming when I told you not to. I've been really enjoying playing quidditch with you recently, do you want me to have to give that up for two weeks while your stuck de-gnoming the garden or something?" Sirius said, smiling at Harry's exasperation.

"I just want to know that you're okay. What if the trial goes over the expected time and you're there for days? I want to know what's happening." Harry said quietly, avoiding his godfather's eyes.

Sirius reached across the table and grasped Harry's hand. "You'll be the first to know everything, I'll make sure Remus personally tells you, alright?"

Harry sighed and nodded, accepting defeat for the time being. "I guess you need to leave soon, then?"

Sirius nodded and stood up. Harry followed the man's lead, and walked over towards the door. Sirius reached out to squeeze Harry's shoulder and Harry felt the urge to hug the man; after all, he wasn't sure when the next time he would see him would be. However, he wasn't sure how Sirius would react to that - Harry himself hadn't been hugged much in his life, due to the Dursley's neglect, so he didn't want make Sirius feel uncomfortable around him. _Don't be ridiculous_ , Harry reminded himself harshly. _Sirius will be free by the end of the day, as soon as Pettigrew admits to what happened in front of the court. Don't be a baby, you'll see him tonight._

Harry looked up at his godfather and saw a concerned expression on the man's face. "Alright?" He asked gently, scrutinizing his godson.

Harry nodded and turned to go out into the corridor, but Sirius caught his wrist and lead him back into his quarters. He pulled Harry into a swift, one-armed hug, before letting go and giving him a light slap on the shoulder. "I'll see you tonight, and if anything changes, Remus will let you know."

Harry nodded again, feeling reassured, and bid his goodbyes to his godfather before heading toward Gryffindor common room to wait out the trial.

Sirius watched Harry walk away before shutting and locking his door. Sighing, he approached the floo. Despite already being declared innocent by the ministry, he was nervous for his trial. What's the point in being free if he couldn't even go outside without being scrutinized by the public? Or what if public outrage prevented him from taking custody of his godson? There were so many things that could go wrong, and he didn't want to face any of them. _Now or never,_ he thought simply before stepping into the floo and shouting "Ministry of Magic, London!"

Aurors were waiting by the floo to take Sirius to a holding cell deep within the ministry before the trial; this was part of the reason Sirius didn't want Harry to come. The boy would have been deeply upset at the idea of his godfather being locked up again, even if it was only for an hour or so.

Sitting down on the cot provided, Sirius awaited Remus and Dumbledore's arrival. Both would be talking on his behalf, and Dumbledore would be acting as a "lawyer" for him. However, they hoped that neither of them would have to say much. The trial would begin with both Sirius and Peter going under veritaserum and confessing what occurred back in October 1981. That would, hopefully, be enough to indict on, and the Wizengamot wouldn't take long to pronounce his freedom.

After an hour or so, the two showed up, walking side by side. Sirius approached the bars and reached a hand out to grab Remus's in a friendly handshake. Things were not quite the same as they had been in the past, but they were working through it, and that's all that mattered to Sirius.

"So, Dumbledore," Sirius said after greeting the two. "What's your plan?"

"I firmly believe the testimonies under veritaserum should be more than enough to secure your innocence, Sirius. Even if for some reason, the public doesn't want to believe it, the Ministry has already declared you a free man; there's not much the public can do, even if they don't like it. Regardless, Pettigrew's going first - we want to make the Wizengamot root for you. By making them realize he's alive and that he framed you, they're going to _want_ you to be innocent. We even considered adding some stuff about Harry in after Pettigrew testifies under veritaserum. It would make the public recognize that you have someone to care for, and that you need to be free." Dumbledore explained.

Sirius nodded, feeling his nerves reignite. "And what about after the trial? You feel certain that the Ministry will give me Harry?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I do think that the ministry would give you whatever you desired to make up for the past twelve years in prison; however, I need to talk to you about Harry, Sirius. He's with his aunt and uncle for a reason-"

"He _hates_ living there. I promised him a home and I'm not going to back out on that now," Sirius said firmly, though he felt that being behind the bars of the holding cell wasn't giving him much credibility.

"What if it meant he was protected and safe?" Dumbledore questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I can protect him, he'd be safe with me! Remus could be there too - look, if it makes you feel better, we'll do the Fidelus Charm and you can be the secret keeper." Sirius said desperately, not wanting to lose his chance at having his godson with him. "I'm not making him stay at the Dursleys. He would feel betrayed, like I wanted to abandon him to live my own life. I can't do that to him."

"What if it meant Voldemort couldn't get to him?" Dumbledore tried again, though he could tell he'd need to be more persuasive.

"If we do the Fidelus Charm, and really did it correctly, Voldemort couldn't get him." Sirius shot back. "Look, why do you care so much if he's at the Dursleys? What are they giving him that I couldn't? Especially when Remus and I think they could be abusing him."

"Now, Sirius, don't jump to conclusions based on a few things Harry has told you. I know they don't love him or treat him like a son, but I expected that from the moment I left him on their doorstep twelve years ago. I know I cursed him to an unhappy childhood, but I don't regret it. Lily created a blood protection when she died for him, and by him staying with the Dursleys, that blood protection is renewed. So long as he lives there, Voldemort cannot touch him." Dumbledore explained.

"From what Harry's told me this past week, he's gotten in plenty of other life-threatening situations outside of having to worry about Voldemort. A basilisk ring any bells? What about him falling off his broom because of the dementors? He won't be safe either way, so he might as well be happy." Sirius said angrily. "I will fight you for my right as his godfather, Albus."

"Then let me offer you a proposition," Dumbledore said slowly. Sirius didn't look thrilled, but he didn't argue either. "Harry goes to the Dursley's for the first two weeks of the summer holidays until he comes of age. After those first two weeks, he can spend the rest of the summer with you, and he can go to you for Christmas and Easter. That way he's still getting the blood protection every year, but you aren't breaking your promise to him."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the man, and didn't speak for a long moment. Then, he let out a quiet sigh, looking defeated. "I suppose we can do that, only if it means Harry will be protected. I need your word though, Albus, no more than two weeks. And if I hear of anything bad happening while he's there, I reserve my right to bring him home with me, even if the two weeks aren't up."

Dumbledore nodded, though he too didn't look completely satisfied. "Very well then."

"Merlin, he's going to be devastated when I tell him." Sirius mumbled, pacing across the cell.

"It's for his own good," Dumbledore reminded Sirius. Before Sirius could offer a proper response, an auror had arrived to escort the three to the courtroom. They had already done Peter's part of the trial, and the rat was now being locked into his own holding cell until the Wizengamot came to a decision. Sirius had the urge to spit on the pathetic man as he passed, but he relented, knowing he needed to behave for Harry. All of this was for Harry.

When he stepped into the dim courtroom, Sirius half expected to be greeted by a booing crowd; instead, the people simply looked intrigued. Some were standing up to get a better look at him, whereas others looked teary-eyed, as if they had been crying when they heard the truth from Peter.

Sirius took a seat in the chair settled in the middle of the court, and immediately the chains came up and fastened on his wrists. Dumbledore and Remus took their places behind Sirius, Remus placing a hand on his shoulder in silent support.

"Sirius Black," Fudge said, looking down at him from his position in the Wizengamot. "Do you consent to using veritaserum?"

"I do," Sirius said gravely, preparing himself for what was about to come. They could ask him anything and he'd be forced to tell the complete truth; it was pretty unnerving.

An auror approached with potion, forcefully tilting his head back and making him drink it. Sirius spluttered for a moment, but then his mind went blank, and he felt significantly more calm.

"Are you, indeed, Sirius Orion Black?" Fudge asked.

"Yes," Sirius answered.

"Were you the Potter's secret keeper when they discovered they were being hunted by Voldemort?" Fudge said, studying Sirius intently, as if he half expected him to say yes and make them believe he was really guilty.

"No, I was not. I was supposed to be, but James and I thought it would be smarter if I were the decoy. Voldemort expected me to be his secret keeper, and would surely come after me. We named Peter secret keeper, so that if anything were to happen to me, their secret would always be safe. It didn't work out that way, though, being that we didn't realize Peter was a death eater." Sirius said, closing his fist in anger.

"What did you do when you discovered James and Lily were dead?" Fudge asked, clearly wanting to get the trial over with.

"I went to get Harry out of the rubble. I tried to heal the cut on his forehead, not realizing what it was at the time. Then I wrapped him in a blanket that I found in the ruins, and was trying to decide where to go next when Hagrid showed up, demanding Harry on Dumbledore's orders. Realizing that I couldn't have my godson, I decided the next best thing would be revenge. I went after Peter, but he actually outsmarted me. He shouted to the street that I had betrayed James and Lily, then blew the place up. He was an animagus, so he cut off his finger, turned into a rat, then left me in the ruins. I was so confused by that point that I was hysterical, which is why the aurors found me laughing."

Fudge allowed Sirius's last statement to hang in the air for a moment before turning to the Wizengamot. "Any further questions?" At their silence, fudge turned to the public. "Any comments from the onlookers?" More silence.

Fudge turned again towards the Wizengamot. "All in favor of securing Sirius Black's freedom with compensation, say I."

A chorus of I's rang out in the courtroom, and Sirius felt his heart lift - was it too good to be true?

"All those against, say nay." Fudge announced, looking around for anyone that might not have believed the testimonies. There were a few nays, but nothing compared to those in favor.

"Sirius Black, you are hereby a free man. You will be paid a monetary sum for every year that you were in prison; however, you will be charged the standard fee for being an unregistered animagus. Please be registered in the next ninety days, or we will have to add on a second fine. You are also granted full guardianship over Harry James Potter, as granted by James and Lily Potter's will. Case dismissed." Fudge said, magically releasing Sirius from his chains.

Sirius whooped, then turned around to hug Remus. Dumbledore had the twinkle in his eye again, and was smiling brightly at him.

"Congratulations, Sirius. Dumbledore said kindly, reaching out to grasp the man's hand. "I'm going to head back to Hogwarts now, but please feel free to join us in the Great Hall for dinner."

"Actually, I was wondering if I could take Harry to Hogsmeade this evening? I know there's a trip this weekend, but I want him to be able to join his friends for that. Not to mention, him and I have a lot to talk about now, and I don't want to be interrupted by any surprised students." Sirius explained.

"Since exams are over, I don't see why not," Dumbledore said with a smile. I'll have McGonagall call him into her office when you return, and she can escort the two of you off the grounds. Your innocence should be announced in the Prophet tomorrow morning, but I'll inform the students tonight while Harry and you are gone. That way, if they see you about the castle for the remaining days of term, they won't be quite as frightened."

Sirius smirked and nodded. "Thanks, Albus." He turned to Remus as Dumbledore walked away, presumably to return to his school.

"How does it feel?" Remus asked, walking with Sirius into a room off the side of the courtroom, where he would sign documents confirming his innocence and receive his compensation.

"Strange… I didn't think I would ever be able to walk into the Ministry again." Sirius admitted, still smirking. "But also wonderful. I guess I'll take the compensation and put it towards a house for Harry and me… not that I need it, mummy dearest ended up leaving me the Black fortune anyway. I thought for sure it would have gone to the Malfoy's after I was disowned and Regulus died."

"Well, spend whatever's left of the compensation on Harry. From the way it sounds, the boy's never been on a vacation. Perhaps you can take one over the Christmas holidays next term?" Remus suggested as they approached the clerk that would sign Sirius out.

Sirius nodded, then turned his attention to the clerk. She directed him on where to sign the papers, then deposited a very large sum of galleons into his personal Gringotts bank account. The two thanked her for the help, and headed towards the floo to go back to Hogwarts.

"Merlin," Remus said with a laugh as they went up the elevator to the main atrium. "You would have thought that your unregistered animagus fee would have brought the compensation down, at least a little bit. Three hundred thousand galleons. That's enough to buy a huge house, take a nice vacation, and still have money left over."

"Yeah, they must really want to make up imprisoning me for so long," Sirius said, a bitter twinge to his voice. "Doesn't quite work that way, but I suppose I'll take it."

Remus nodded knowingly as they approached the green flames. "See you in a moment, mate," he said, grabbing a handful of floo powder and releasing it into the grate, leaving Sirius behind in the Ministry.


	5. New Beginning

Sirius followed, and soon he found himself back at Hogwarts. After bidding goodbye to Remus, Sirius headed to McGonagall's office to await his godson's arrival; he was excited to see Harry and tell him about the trial, but he also dreaded the conversation about Harry's short return to the Dursley's.

He knocked on the door to McGonagall's office and, after a moment, she opened it, smiling widely. "Hello, Sirius. Albus told me the trial went well?"

"As well as it could have, I suppose," Sirius said, smiling back at her and following her into the cozy, yet well organized room. "I have enough galleons now to buy out Diagon Alley, so I'm going to head to Gringotts to sort out financial things later this week. I guess I also need to register myself as an animagus."

"Yes, tell me about that," McGonagall said, raising an eyebrow. "I knew James and you were brilliant, but I can't fathom two twelve year olds learning that skill."

"Well, we technically didn't finish until we were fifteen, but let's just say that we snuck into the restricted section quite a bit," Sirius said, looking down guiltily, a smirk playing on his features.

"I figured as much," McGonagall said, though her usual strict demeanor was absent. "How did you manage the mandrake leaf part? I don't ever recall a month of James and you not talking, and trust me, I would have noticed."

Sirius smiled, lost in nostalgia. "That actually ended up occuring over the holidays; I'm not sure what James told his parents for why he wasn't speaking, but my parents didn't care for small talk with me anyway. I think keeping my mouth shut that holiday actually helped; they weren't nearly as cruel that summer as they usually were."

McGonagall's cheerful demeanor went away as quickly as it came. "You know we tried to get you out of there sooner, Sirius. Your parents had so much power over the wizarding world, though; I'm surprised they let you leave for good when you ran away."

"I know, it's not your fault. I think by the time I decided to leave, they had realized that I wasn't their suitable heir, so they were happy to see the back of me. I'm surprised they left me their fortune, to be honest. I thought for sure it would have gone to the Malfoy's." Sirius said, messing with the hem of his robes.

"Perhaps they changed their ways before they passed?" McGonagall suggested, though the expression on her face showed that she didn't really believe that.

Sirius snorted. "Fat chance, it might have been an accident. Maybe they didn't officially disown me, perhaps they just put Regulus higher on the will when I ran away. When he died, it might have automatically moved to me. I'm just speculating though."

McGonagall nodded, then hesitated. "Will you be taking Harry to live at Grimmauld, then?"

"Hell no," Sirius said abruptly. "I'll be searching and preparing a house in the next three weeks. I don't know if Dumbledore informed you yet, but Harry has to return to the Dursley's for two weeks before he can come with me, so I suppose I'll spend that time fixing up a place for us. He's going to be devastated though, wouldn't be surprised if he got mad at me for it… wouldn't blame him either, I promised he wouldn't go back."

"Now, that's not your fault, Sirius. Though I don't blame Harry for being upset, I told Dumbledore they weren't suitable guardians for him from the start-"

Before McGonagall could finish, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sirius stood, turning towards the entrance to the office as McGonagall said "come in."

Harry peaked his head in, looking nervous. Noticing his godfather, his demeanor immediately changed. He beamed and ran over to the man, hugging him; however, before Sirius could respond in kind, Harry pulled away and looked at the floor, his cheeks flushing red from embarrassment. Sirius looked to McGonagall with concern before reaching out and squeezing Harry's shoulder. "Alright, mate?"

Harry nodded, scratching the back of his head before meeting his godfather's eyes. "So you're free then?"

"Yes, with heavy compensation." Sirius said with a small smile.

"Really? Like money?" Harry asked, curiously following the man out of his head of house's office.

Sirius waved goodbye to Minerva as they entered the corridor, and she shut her door behind them. "More than that," the man said with a smile.

"They let you?" Harry asked, not specifying on purpose. This was the part he had been so worried about; what if the ministry wouldn't let him live with his godfather?

"They sure did," Sirius said, throwing an arm around the boy as they walked through the castle. "I thought you and I could go grab dinner in Hogsmeade to celebrate?"

"Really?" Harry said excitedly, his eyes shining.

"Absolutely; however, before I get you too excited, I have some bad news. I'll tell you on the way," Sirius said, a frown overcoming his features. "Are you ready to go?"

Harry looked a little downtrodden at the idea of _bad news_ , but he nodded nonetheless. As they approached the castle doors, though, Harry stopped. "Wait, I left my money upstairs. I'll go grab it-"

"Woah," Sirius said, gently grasping Harry's arm. "I got compensated a fortune on top of what I already have. I'm buying tonight and probably the rest of your life."

Harry looked slightly upset, and attempted to argue. "I have money, Sirius-"

"I know that, but you can save that for this weekend when you go to Hogsmeade with your friends, I signed your permission slip. Besides, if you're going to be living with me, you're gonna have to get used to me spending money on you. You heard Remus the other day, I plan on spoiling you." Sirius said, with a small smile. He was unsure of why Harry was acting so strange about money; surely he knew guardians were supposed to buy dinner for him?

Harry stared at the man, as if trying to assess if he were joking. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright…"

"Alright, then." Sirius gestured to the path leading to Hogsmeade. "Shall we?"

Harry nodded and followed his godfather down the unfamiliar path. It felt weird to be going to Hogsmeade out in the open without his cloak; especially considering that he was walking beside the man everyone was trying their best to protect him from a week earlier.

Remembering something Sirius had said earlier, Harry looked up at him. "So… you said you had bad news?"

"Yeah… Harry, you're not going to like it." Sirius said, looking down at his godson with sad eyes.

"What is it?" Harry asked nervously. He was so close to having a home - could it still be taken away? Even after the ministry had given Sirius custody of him?

"Dumbledore is convinced that it is imperative to your safety that you go back to the Dursley's for the first two weeks of the summer holidays." Sirius looked down at Harry, expecting to see rage, but instead saw relief with only a hint of disappointment.

"That's it then?" Harry asked, his voice flat.

"Yes," Sirius said, confirming. "Once the two weeks are up, you'll move into our house and stay with me the rest of the summer, over Christmas, and the spring holidays. Next summer the process will repeat itself; two weeks at the Dursley's, rest of the time with me."

"That's not so bad then," Harry said with a shrug. "I mean, I want to be with you the whole time, but two weeks with the Dursley's is a small price to pay to spend the rest of my summer somewhere else."

"Did you know Dumbledore would want you to go back?" Sirius asked, surprised. After the way Harry had talked about his aunt and uncle, he was expecting a much different reaction to him hearing of his impending arrival back at Privet Drive.

Harry shook his head. "No, but he's told me before how important my mother's protection is… I was expecting something worse, to be honest. Me not being able to live with you at all would be much worse than having to deal with them for two weeks."

"So you aren't…" Sirius hesitated, wanting to express his concern with his godson, but also not wanting the boy to shut down on him. "You aren't afraid of going back, then?"

"Afraid? No, of course not." Harry said, shaking his head. "They're definitely not my favorite people, but I can deal with it. I have for twelve years, what's two weeks compared to that?"

"Well, Harry, what I mean to say is… do they treat you alright? Beyond just being mean, you get the food you need, right? You're taken care of?" Sirius prompted, wanting to ensure that he wasn't putting his godson in a really bad situation. If he thought _anything_ was wrong, he'd take the boy home, Dumbledore's wishes be damned.

"I'll be fine, Sirius, don't worry." Harry said casually. Then he grinned. "So, what kind of house are you going to buy?"

"Hm… I'm not quite sure yet. Like I said before, I would like to be near Hogsmeade so that I could come to you if you needed me during the school year. However, being right in town might be too public, especially since I have a reputation for mass murderer and everyone considers you to be the savior of the wizarding world. Maybe somewhere a short ride from here? Far enough away that we'd have privacy, but close enough that you could ride your broom over for a day in the village." Sirius explained thoughtfully.

Harry nodded excitedly. "That would be brilliant. Is that what you're going to do when I go to Privet Drive?"

"Yes, and hopefully begin decorating it. I had thought about asking Moony to stay with us, but I don't think he would." Sirius said as they neared the pub in which they would have dinner.

"Why not?" Harry asked, stepping inside as his godfather held the door open for him. "Is he still mad at you for what happened when my parents died?"

"No, I don't think so… I just think that times have changed. I think we both bear a lot of guilt; from what I can gather, he thinks it's his fault I was in prison for so long. Says he should have known better to think I would betray James. The prat…" Sirius said, shaking his head with a fond smile. "He knows good and well that I thought he was the traitor over Peter, yet he still insists the whole situation was his fault. But don't worry about us, we're working through it. He may not live with us, but he'll be over a lot this summer, I can promise that. How was he for a professor?" Sirius asked as they sat down at a booth and began to browse the menu.

"Brilliant, really." Harry said, looking at the all of the food options. "His first lesson he instructed Neville to turn his boggart into Snape… dressed like Neville's grandmother."

Sirius looked at Harry incredulously before bursting out laughing. "I can see why Snape in Neville's grandmother's clothes would be hilarious, but why was the boggart Snape in the first place?"

"Well, a boggart turns into your greatest fear…" Harry started, and Sirius nodded. "So I suppose Neville was most scared of Snape."

Sirius frowned slightly. "I know he's not the most likeable person… trust me, we despised him in school, all four of us… but why are students afraid of him? What's he doing in class?"

"He's just a prat…" Harry said with a shrug. "Constantly picking on Gryffindors, but moreso Neville and I than the rest of us. Me, I guess, because he hated dad so much. I reckon he goes after Neville so badly because Neville isn't very good at potions. We try to help him out, but Snape ends up punishing us for it. Earlier in the year, Neville made his potion wrong, and Snape said if he didn't fix it by the end of the period, he would feed it to Trevor - Neville's toad. He wanted to kill Neville's pet over a bad potion!"

Sirius's normally gentle, yet haunted gaze, turned angry. "He just wants to assert his power and he's picking on the weaker links - mind you, you're not weak by any means, I don't mean it like that. It sounds like he's targeting you because of your dad. Neville on the other hand… if he's as poor at potions as you say he is, then it makes sense that Snape would go after him…"

"He goes after all the Gryffindor's though - even Hermione, and she's brilliant at potions!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, that's a Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. It's a school-age thing, so he has no business behaving that way now. I would understand if one of the Slytherin students were bothering you, but as a professor he shouldn't be acting like that. Not that I expect any different of him…" Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

Harry nodded and looked down at his own menu, then back around the restaurant. This pub was located at the far end of Hogsmeade, near the Shrieking Shack. It felt weird to actually be in Hogsmeade, without having to hide under his invisibility cloak; then again, Harry thought, it was probably weird for his godfather to be out in the open like that too, not having to turn into a dog anymore. "Why isn't anyone staring at you? You were an ex-convict two hours ago…"

Sirius chuckled. "It's pretty well known by the public that I'm innocent now. I would venture to say that the trial today was the biggest one since the Lestrange's… or perhaps Karkaroff's…"

"Who are those people?" Harry asked, curious.

"All three were death eaters… Voldemort's followers, it's what he called them. Bellatrix Lestrange is, unfortunately, my cousin." Sirius said, looking as if he wanted to vomit.

"What, really?" Harry asked, astounded that the easy-going, kind man in front of him could have been related to such a foul person.

"Do you know anything about my family, Harry?" Sirius asked, curiously. He wasn't sure how much Harry had been told in the past year. It seemed as though Voldemort was adamant about keeping the boy in the dark.

Harry shook his head; truth be told, he didn't know _anything_ about the man beyond what Sirius had talked about the past week.

"Ah… they weren't pleasant people." Sirius explained, looking around to be sure Narcissa or another relative wasn't nearby. "Not all of them were death eaters, but they all thought Voldemort had the right idea. Wanted to _purify_ wizards… it's sickening. I was supposed to be heir to the Black Family and uphold those ideals, but I got out. I moved in with your father and his parents our fifth year and I never went back. Your grandparents treated me like a son; I considered them more my parents than the Blacks."

Harry nodded. "So how are you related to the Lestranges?

"I'm not technically related to the Lestranges, though all pure-blood wizarding families are distantly related. Bellatrix is my cousin, she was a Black before she married Rodolphus Lestrange… but we can talk more about these unpleasantries later. You want a butter beer?"

Harry nodded and watched as his godfather walked up to the bar to order their drinks; however, he was still extremely curious about the Lestranges and his godfather's family. Voldemort had gone after him three times in his life, he felt he needed to know everything possible about the man.

Sirius returned after a moment, both of their drinks in hand. "Here you go, mate."

Harry sipped on his, allowing the warm sensation to fill him. After a moment, he looked back at his godfather. "Will you tell me more about Bellatrix or your family?"

Sirius looked taken aback. "Why? I mean, I have no problem telling you, but why are you so fascinated with it?"

"I'm not… it's just, these are the people that want to kill my friends or… well, that helped kill my parents. I just feel like I should learn as much as I can, especially since Voldemort's been after me three times now-"

"What?" Sirius exclaimed, staring at his godson from across the table. "I knew about the Chamber of Secrets, but what was the third time?"

"First year," Harry said sheepishly. "Voldemort was weak, so he had inhabited my DADA professor's body and was living off of him. I nearly died when he tried to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, but he couldn't touch me because of my mother's protection."

"Dumbledore had the stone in Hogwarts?" Sirius said, looking white as a sheet. "I wonder what his reasoning for that was…"

"Not sure," Harry said with a shrug. "Anyway, will you tell me more about your family?"

"Why don't we save that conversation for when you're living with me?" Sirius asked, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his thirteen year old godson had faced Voldemort _three_ times already and survived. "If you're worried about him coming after you again, I can help train you this summer. I'll talk to Dumbledore about it."

"I'm not allowed to use magic, though," Harry said, confused.

"Sure you are. You grew up with muggles, so the Ministry knew exactly when you used magic. Living with me, they won't be able to tell whether you or I performed it. You can do as much magic as you want… granted, we'll need to be reasonable about it." Sirius said, chuckling.

Harry nodded, smiling. "Sweet, I can't wait."

"Me either," Sirius said, smiling warmly at his godson. "I only wish you could join me sooner. I trust Dumbledore though, hopefully he knows what's best in this situation."

Harry nodded, looking down at his hands, which were situated on the top of the table. "Yeah… it's only two weeks, after all."

Sirius nodded, and decided a topic change was in order based on his godson's downtrodden expression. "So, what do you want to eat, mate? If I remember correctly, this place has fantastic shepherd's' pie. James, Remus, and I used to come here and get it during our school days, especially in the winter. Funny that this wizarding pub sells it, considering it's a muggle dish. One of the reasons we liked the place so much, I suppose."

"Really?" Harry asked, his expression lightening at the mention of his father. "Was that my dad's favorite food then?"

"It was definitely one of them, though he was partial to wizarding dishes and desserts. He loved treacle tart and butterbeer, which Remus has told me you also share a liking." Sirius said, grinning at Harry's happy expression.

"Yeah, they're my favorites. I've never had shepherd's pie, though." Harry said, looking down at the menu to read the description.

"Really? I would have thought growing up with muggles you'd have at least tasted it before." Sirius prompted, wanting to learn more about Harry's home life without pushing him.

"Aunt Petunia only knew how to cook certain things and shepherd's pie wasn't one of them. I never went out to eat with them, they left me at home most of the time." Harry said with a shrug.

Sirius looked at his godson sadly. "Why didn't they take you out to eat?"

Harry shrugged again, looking down. "I think they were embarrassed by me. I intruded on their perfect lives, I'm abnormal to them. The neighbors hardly know anything about me, except that my parents died and I was dumped with them. They don't want to publicize my existence any more than that."

Sirius felt anger pulsing through him; the more he learned of the Dursley's, the more he hated them. "Harry, that's wrong, you know that right? They're supposed to care for you, not be ashamed of you… I'll talk to Dumbledore…"

"No, Sirius, it's okay. I don't want to cause Dumbledore any more trouble. They feed me, they give me a place to stay. I get what I need there, even if I don't enjoy it. Two weeks will be nothing," Harry said, trying to reassure his godfather. Truth be told, he didn't want to go back to the Dursley's, but the arrangement that Sirius and Dumbledore made would be far better than the past twelve years of his life, so he resolved himself to deal with it.

"Harry, are you sure? If they're mistreating you, I will do everything in my power to prevent you from going there." Sirius said, looking at his godson earnestly.

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. He had the chance to completely come clean, explain everything to Sirius, and be rid of the Dursley's for the rest of his life; however, he knew Dumbledore had his reasoning for wanting him to stay there, and didn't want to cause Sirius to worry for the two weeks that he would be with them. "I'm sure, Sirius. I'll be fine."

Sirius looked Harry in the eyes intently for a moment, before nodding his acceptance. "Alright then. How about I order you the shepherd's pie? I think you'll like it a lot."

Harry smiled weakly and nodded. "Sure, thanks."

Sirius smiled warmly back at his godson, and reached out to squeeze his shoulder as he got up. "Alright, be right back."

The rest of the night passed smoothly, and both Harry and Sirius got to know one another better. They made plans for the upcoming weeks after Harry would return to him from the Dursleys, and Sirius told Harry stories of the Marauders at school. Leaving the pub, both Harry and Sirius were beginning to realize how grateful they were to have found the other. When they got back to Hogwarts and Sirius had walked Harry to Gryffindor tower, Harry said goodbye to his godfather with a heavy heart.

Sirius smiled at him. "Don't look so down, mate. I'm here at Hogwarts until you leave for the train, and I'll meet you at the platform so I can introduce myself to your aunt and uncle and explain the arrangement. Dumbledore's sent them a letter, but I'd like to meet them for myself."

Harry looked up at Sirius nervously. "Er… why do you want to meet them?"

"Just to introduce myself," Sirius said with a shrug. "I haven't seen Petunia since we were teenagers, I'd like to see if she's still as unpleasant as she used to be."

Harry smiled up at his godfather. "I can confirm that she still is very unpleasant… but I guess you can meet them if you want. They might still think you're the mass murderer - that would be a fun thing to watch."

Sirius barked out a laugh and ruffled Harry's hair. "Yeah, no kidding. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Harry nodded, then stood there for a moment. He was definitely getting to know his godfather better, but he wasn't sure how to handle this sort of goodbye. Did he hug him? Did he just say goodnight? It was hard to to be sure, considering the Dursley's never gave Harry any physical affection.

Sirius smiled warmly at him before pulling him into a hug. Harry seemed to tense at first, but then hugged the man back. Sirius wasn't sure why Harry was so timid when it came to hugging or simply being touched, but he had a hunch it had to do with his relatives. It was going to take a lot of willpower on Sirius's part not to hex the muggles when he met them on Sunday.

"Goodnight mate," Sirius said, releasing his godson and slapping his shoulder lightly.

"G'night," Harry said with a smile, turning to the portrait hole and going inside.

Sirius watched the portrait slam shut, then turned to head back to his quarters for the night.


	6. The Dursleys

A/N: Sorry it's been a little while! Please read, review, and check out my other stories.

The rest of the week passed quickly, and Harry thoroughly enjoyed his first Hogsmeade trip in which he could attend without being hidden. Ron took him to Honeydukes and Harry bought a load of sweets for the train ride back home the next day. Hermione, Ron, and Harry met up with Sirius and Remus in the three broomsticks, and Sirius formally introduced himself to Ron and Hermione, simultaneously making sure they knew they were welcome to visit Harry in the upcoming summer.

After the perfect day he spent in Hogsmeade with his friends, Harry was really dreading the train ride back to the Dursleys; he had a feeling the first two weeks of the holidays would drag by.

He watched the passing countryside, zoning out on the argument that Hermione and Ron were having about summer homework. Harry was brought back into the moment as Ron's new owl flew right into the window by his head.

"Sirius would find the most hyperactive owl for you," Harry said, lifting the small owl up and placing it on the seat by Ron. The owl immediately began to flap around the compartment again.

Ron sighed, "yeah, but he's loads better than Scabbers. Tell Sirius thanks again for him, he really didn't have to get me an owl."

"He didn't feel right taking your pet away from you. Say, have you told your parents about Sirius? Did they say you can come visit some this summer?" Harry asked, turning towards his friends.

Ron looked slightly nervous at Harry's mentioning of his parents. "Er… well, I'm sure they'll come around Harry. Mum isn't exactly thrilled about you going to live with Sirius, but dad knows he's innocent. I think mum's happy you're leaving the muggles though. I'll put in good word for Sirius…"

Harry felt a slight pang in his heart. He really did appreciate how much Mrs. Weasley cared for him, but he wished she would give his godfather a chance. Maybe he'd talk to her on the platform. "Thanks Ron, I hope she comes around."

The three made small talk for the rest of the ride; Hermione told them about her plans to go to Paris, and Ron talked excitedly about tickets to the Quidditch World Cup his dad had received. "Maybe you can go with us, Harry, do you think Sirius would let you?"

"He probably would, though I wish there was a way he could go too…" Harry trailed off, looking out the window. "I feel really bad for him. He's been in Azkaban for twelve years, he needs to do some fun stuff."

"Oh, Harry, he's in such a better place now. He gets to buy his own house and spend the summer with you. He'll love it." Hermione said gently, an understanding look in her eyes.

Harry nodded. "I know, I still hate it though. I wish I had learned about him sooner."

"How? You didn't know you were a wizard until you were eleven." Ron said, watching as his owl flew in circles around his head.

"I know, I didn't know anything about myself until I was eleven really. I thought I was doomed to be stuck with the Dursleys the rest of my life…" Harry trailed off, looking out the window. Hermione and Ron remained silent, knowing for themselves how awful the Dursleys were to their nephew.

Finally, Hermione spoke. "Well, you're not going to be with them anymore. Just two weeks and then you get to go to Sirius, right?"

Harry smiled a little at the thought. "Right... I can't wait. He's already looked at some houses for us and he's going to decide for sure this week. He said he's looking for a big yard to play quidditch in."

"Did he play at Hogwarts?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry paused, realizing he didn't know the answer. "I… I don't know, I guess I should ask him. Blimey, I really don't know him that well."

Hermione looked at Harry, concern crossing her features. "Are you worried? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No, no of course not," Harry said, shaking his head. "I just… I guess I thought I knew him better than I actually do. I mean, I know the basics. He was my dad and mum's best friend, he grew up in a bad family that hated him, was brilliant when he was a student at Hogwarts… but other than that, I don't really know him well. It's kind of… well…"

"Frightening?" Hermione suggested gently. Harry nodded slightly. "Anything new like that will be, Harry. Just keep an open mind. I'm sure he'll be loads better than the Dursleys."

Harry nodded again, smiling at his best friend. "Yeah, you're right. It'll be great… I guess I just… Don't really know what to expect from him. Like with the Dursleys, I know they're going to ignore me as much as they can. If I ask questions or get in their way they'll yell at me. With Sirius though… I don't know."

"He won't be like that," Hermione said confidently, Ron nodding beside her. "He wants to get to know you and he offered to take care of you. That's more than the Dursleys have ever done."

"Thanks Hermione, you're right." Harry said, feeling better about the summer. His heart sank again, however, when they approached the station and Harry remembered that he wasn't able to go with Sirius for two more weeks.

As Harry and his friends stepped off the train and onto the platform, he looked around for his godfather. Ron immediately found his family, and Hermione bid both Harry and Ron goodbye as she went to look for her parents in the muggle part of the station.

After a moment of wandering, Harry saw the tall figure of his godfather approaching him, a grin adorning the man's features. Not for the first time, Harry thought he looked younger than the night they first met.

Harry smiled as Sirius approached him, but he didn't attempt to hug him, the way all the other students were doing with their parents. Sirius grasped the boy's shoulder before pulling him into a one-armed hug. When he pulled back, he smirked at the boy. "Long time, no see, huh mate?"

Harry smiled. "Yeah, twenty-four hours seems like a long time considering we hung out every day the past week."

Sirius ruffled the boy's hair, but Harry could see a sad expression flicker in the man's eyes. He figured that had to do with him leaving for the Dursleys for two weeks, but he wasn't sure. Before he could ask, Sirius spoke again. "Do you think Mrs. Weasley would be frightened if I tried to talk to her? I just want to let her know that Ron is not in any danger of being murdered if you invite him over this summer."

Harry laughed a little, but simultaneously felt a twinge of nervousness in his stomach. That was _exactly_ what Mrs. Weasley was worried about. Regardless, he followed Sirius over to the red-headed family.

"Mrs. Weasley," Sirius said when he was within earshot, holding a hand out to shake. "I'm Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. I wanted to introduce myself to you."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Black," Mrs. Weasley said, reaching her hand out to shake Sirius's, though a cold glare was present in her facial features. Harry swallowed nervously, stepping closer to Sirius in the hope of showing Mrs. Weasley that being near the man did not pose any danger.

"You can call me Sirius, and the pleasure is mine." Sirius said, shaking the older woman's hand. "I've really enjoyed getting to know Ron, I'm glad Harry and him have each other."

Mrs. Weasley surveyed the man before nodding, some of the coldness leaving her gaze. "Thank you, we care about Harry a lot."

"I know you do, and I really appreciate that. I'm sure James and Lily would as well. I wish I could have been around sooner," Sirius said, smiling down at his godson, though he still had a bit of a sad look in his eyes. He threw an arm around Harry before turning back to Mrs. Weasley. "I mentioned it to Harry and Ron, but I wanted to tell you that Ron is welcome at our house anytime he pleases. I'm not sure if they've said anything to you, but Harry has to return to his aunt and uncle for the first two weeks of the holidays, so I will be meeting them when we get off the platform. After that, though, I'm sure Harry would love to have him over. That goes for Fred and George as well." Sirius said, smiling at the twin's identical expressions of delight and Ron's look of horror.

Mrs. Weasley nodded, and smiled for the first time since meeting the man. "I'm sure the boys will take you up on that offer. Now we best be going," she said, turning to Harry and draping him in a hug. "You take care of yourself around those muggles now, alright? We'll be hearing from your godfather and you soon, I hope."

Harry nodded and accepted a kiss on the cheek from the Weasley matron. "Thanks Mrs. Weasley, I'll see you soon."

Harry bid his goodbyes to Ron, Ginny, Percy, and the twins, before following his godfather off the platform and into Kings Cross Station. Sirius was pulling Harry's trunk behind him, something Harry had never experienced before. He had always been forced to lug the thing around, especially since the Dursleys would never come near it.

"You have your nap sack with everything you need the next two weeks? I'll go ahead and take your trunk and Hedwig back to the house with me." Sirius said, turning to Harry before they walked to the Dursley's car.

Harry nodded, shouldering the nap sack. "Yeah… but if you take Hedwig, how will I be able to talk to you?"

Sirius smirked. "I can send her to you, kiddo. Just, based on what you've told me about the Dursleys, I'd rather her stay with me the majority of the time. Besides, I've got something to give to you. It's a way you can talk to me easily."

Harry watched as his godfather pulled a square package out of his jacket pocket. "This is a two-way mirror. It was your father's… we used to use them when we were in separate detentions. All you have to do is say my name into it, and I'll appear in it. It's like talking on the telephone."

Harry smiled a put the package in his nap sack. "Thanks, I'll need it. It's going to be a long two weeks."

Sirius smiled bitterly. "Please let me know if anything happens, Harry. I want your word. I will get you out of there immediately if they so much as put a hand on you. Promise to tell me?"

The intenseness in which his godfather spoke caught Harry off guard, and he found himself nodding without really understanding the terms of the agreement.

Sirius looked Harry in the eyes for a moment, before nodding. "Alright then. Let's go meet them, shall we?"

Harry nodded and followed his godfather outside the station, looking for the Dursley's car. When they found it, Vernon was standing outside, looking disdainfully at the two as they approached. "Hurry boy, we don't have all day."

Harry stayed silent, but looked up at his godfather, who already had an angry expression on his face. Harry felt his heart begin to race - Remus had told him of Sirius's temper, but he hoped he wouldn't actually have to see it any time soon, especially not around his relatives. He didn't need Sirius doing anything that would send him back to prison, especially since Harry wasn't entirely sure the Dursleys knew of the man's innocence.

"Who in the blazes are you?" Vernon asked menacingly as they came closer.

"Harry's godfather, or did Dumbledore not tell you?" Sirius asked, the angry expression not leaving his features.

"He has a godfather? Well why on earth has he been stuck with us?" Vernon asked, before narrowing his eyes. "Wait… you look familiar…"

"Ah, yes, perhaps you saw my mugshot on the news last year?" Sirius said casually, reaching a hand out to shake the man's hand, a smirk coming across his features. "Sirius Black, and I believe you are Vernon Dursley?"

Vernon recoiled back as if he had been burned. "What in God's name are you doing here? You should be in prison! Why… Petunia! What was that number-"

"Hush," Sirius said, pulling on the beefy man's shoulder. "I'm innocent. I was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit and had a trial about a week ago. I'm free and I plan to take custody of Harry for the majority of the year; however Dumbledore insists he live with you for two weeks over the summer holidays. I will be taking most of his things with me, and I'll be at your house two Sunday's from now to retrieve him."

Vernon was spluttering, unable to wrap his mind around the fact that an accused murderer was right in front of him. Sirius didn't have the patience to explain it again, though, and he took a step closer to the man. "If I hear that you lay even a pinky on my godson, I will be back sooner than expected. I'm not afraid to commit the murders I was imprisoned for… understand?"

Vernon looked indignant, as if he were about to retort, but Sirius turned his back on the man and stood in front of Harry, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders and leaning down so that he was at eye level. "Take care of yourself, mate. Remember, you promised to let me know if something happens."

Harry looked at his uncle wearily, who was now shooting ugly looks at the two of them through the car window. Clearly he wanted to put as much space as possible between Sirius and himself. "You didn't have to say the murder part…"

Sirius smirked. "That was more for my enjoyment than anything. I won't do anything to him unless he really hurts you."

Harry nodded, feeling his heart drop. He couldn't tell Sirius, even if Vernon was his usual nasty self. He wouldn't risk his godfather's freedom for anything. He could deal with two weeks… despite this, though, he was finding it difficult to say goodbye.

Sirius pulled Harry forward, wrapping his arms around the boy. "I'll see you in two weeks, mate. Call me on the mirror tonight and let me know how you settle in." Sirius pulled back and clapped Harry lightly on the shoulder.

"Bye, Sirius." Harry said, trying to smile reassuringly at the man. He turned and got in the back seat behind his aunt. As they pulled out of the station, he waved to Sirius, who was now on the sidewalk in front of the building. The man waved back until the car was out of sight, then grabbed the majority of Harry's belongings and apparated back to Remus's house.

The drive home seemed like an eternity to Harry; he tried to ignore the ache in his heart that he felt while waving goodbye to Sirius. When his godfather first told him about his impending return to the Dursleys, Harry didn't think it was that big of a deal; what was two weeks when he had lived with them for twelve years? Now, however, he was beginning to realize that he would have rather not returned at all.

"The nerve of him! Threatening me," Uncle Vernon was carrying on in the front seat. "It's none of his business what goes on in my house, hear that boy? Don't you dare go sending him letters about us-"

"If I don't, he'll assume something's wrong," Harry said nonchalantly, grinning to himself. "He'll come check on me if he doesn't hear anything after a few days."

Vernon looked as if he were going to explode and Petunia looked horrified at the thought of an ex-convict showing up unexpected at their front doorstep.

"Fine," Vernon finally spluttered out. "You tell him we're treating you well, then, as soon as you get home, alright? We don't need any more of your kind showing up at the front stoop."

"Sure," Harry said, watching as the city of London turned into rolling hillside. He actually couldn't wait to get back and go up to his room where he could have some peace.

"We're expecting you to clean the kitchen and the bathrooms tonight after dinner," Petunia said to Harry after a moment of silence, though she didn't turn her head to acknowledge him.

"Why can't Dudley?" Harry asked, eying his cousin that was taking up the two seats beside him. "He looks well enough to me."

"Listen to your aunt!" Vernon said menacingly. "If we have to keep you for two weeks, you're going to at least be useful."

"Fine," Harry said through gritted teeth. Tonight might not be as peaceful as he thought. "Just need to make sure I have time to talk to Sirius, he wants to know how I'm settling in."

"You'll get time, now stop bringing him up. The company you keep… I swear, I knew bringing you into our house all those years ago would be no good! Should have gone to the orphanage…" Vernon grumbled, pulling into the neighborhood.

Harry rolled his eyes, grabbing his nap sack off the car floor and preparing to get out. When the car came to a stop, Dudley rushed out, moving faster than Harry had ever seen him. Harry got out, but didn't see Dudley running in towards the house. Before he could register what was happening, he felt himself being knocked to the ground and heard Vernon's booming laugh at his son's behavior.

Harry rolled his eyes and lifted his broken glasses off the ground. He wished he could use magic - he really didn't need Sirius to see that they had been broken on Harry's first day with the Dursleys. His concerned godfather would assume the worst.

Shouldering his bag, Harry got up and followed the Dursleys into the house. Harry noticed a bloody scrape forming on his knee from where he fell; he grimaced as he climbed up the stairs. Once he was in his room and had unpacked a little, he considered what he was going to do. He couldn't call Sirius just yet; he didn't want the man to think he was needy, considering he had just said goodbye to him an hour ago.

Perhaps he should go ahead and clean the bathrooms before dinner? That way he could relax in the evening. Sirius had bought him a couple of defense books while they were in Hogsmeade and Harry thought he might start one of them that evening. There wasn't much else for him to do, after all.

Deciding he might as well get started on the chores, Harry trudged downstairs to the first floor bathroom. He found the cleaning supplies in their usual place under the sink and began to work on the toilet when he heard a loud banging on the door.

"Let me in!" Dudley yelled, sounding as though he were going to knock the door down.

"Why? Can't you go upstairs?" Harry said, annoyed.

"No, I can't make it, move!" Dudley yelled, breaking the lock in his haste to get inside. He pushed past Harry to the toilet and began to unbutton his trousers. Harry rushed out of the bathroom and closed the door. He had a feeling Dudley was going to make a mess of the loo…

There was no doubt about it, Harry thought as he climbed the stairs to attempt to clean the Dursley's master bathroom. This was going to be a long two weeks.


	7. A New Understanding

A/N: I technically already added this chapter, but I didn't copy and paste the whole thing, so the transition from the last chapter to this one probably didn't make much sense! Also, there is slight child abuse in this chapter, so be proceed with caution. As always, read and review!

By the time Harry had cleaned the Dursley's master bathroom, Dudley's bathroom, and both of the hall bathrooms, dinner was ready. Putting the cleaning supplies up, he walked downstairs and sat in his usual chair. Vernon and Dudley had been talking about something to do with Smeltings, but Vernon stopped once Harry took his seat.

"What do you think you're doing? Help your Aunt serve the food, she does enough around here without having to wait on you hand and foot." Vernon spat, watching with satisfaction as Harry stood and walked over to grab the dinner plates.

Harry stopped and stared at the four plates, astonished that this was all they were eating for dinner. There was a salad on each plate, if you would call it that. There was a pile of green lettuce, a single tomato and cucumber on top. There was a ton of lettuce on two of the plates, slightly less on a third, and then a fourth plate probably had half a handful. Harry assumed that one was his. He grudgingly brought the plates to the table, handing the two with the most salad to his uncle and cousin and the one with slightly less to his aunt.

He sat down and began eating his without comment; Dudley, however, was less than pleased.

"What's this rubbish?" Dudley asked, looking accusingly at his mother.

"Darling, it's your school. They called and said… well, you're outgrowing your uniforms. I tried to tell them you're a healthy, growing boy, but they said you had to go on a diet. But look!" Aunt Petunia said immediately, noticing Dudley's face turning red, a sure sign of a tantrum. "Daddy and you have the most food."

This did nothing to console Dudley; instead, he looked even angrier. "I won't eat it! I won't!"

Harry was attempting to eat his salad when, out of anger, Dudley reached over, grabbed his plate, and threw it at the floor. The glass shattered everywhere and what remained of Harry's small salad was gone.

"Hey," Harry said angrily, turning to his cousin. "Just because you didn't want your food doesn't mean that I wasn't going to eat mine!"

"If Dudder's doesn't eat, you don't either." Vernon said gruffly, standing up from his chair and moving over to his wife, who had her face in her hands. "Come on Dudley, mummy and I will take you to a nice restaurant this evening. We can start the diet tomorrow."

Dudley's face was still red, but at the mention of a nice restaurant, he stood up immediately and followed his parents to the door. Harry continued to sit in his chair when Vernon called back to him. "Clean the kitchen, boy! I don't want that glass to be on the floor when we get back."

Harry clenched his fists, enraged by the treatment he had received from his relatives in less than twelve hours. How would he possibly make it two weeks with them? Especially with a new, better home teasing him.

Too angry to clean the kitchen, Harry stomped upstairs with the intention of calling his godfather and begging him to come take him home now. It was when he reached the landing, however, that he realized what a bad idea that would be. It would only worry Sirius unnecessarily; Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry leave until the two weeks were up, regardless of what happened. There was no point in bothering Sirius with it; still, Harry thought as he walked into his bedroom, he told Sirius he would call that night, and he really could use a distraction at the moment.

"Sirius Black!" Harry said after getting situated on his bed.

After a moment the mirror shimmered, and his godfather appeared in it. "Hey, mate. How's the first day going?"

"Er…" Harry started, feeling guilty for lying to the man. "It's not terrific, but nothing unusual. Had to clean and stuff. I think I'm almost done for the night though. How's your day? Did you get to look at any houses yet?"

Sirius shook his head, looking slightly preoccupied. "No, Remus and I are going to look tomorrow. He thinks I'm incapable of making a good decision on my own."

Harry heard Remus call out "you are incapable," in the background, and he laughed as his godfather rolled his eyes.

"So," Sirius started nonchalantly. "Your relatives had you do chores today? On your first day home?"

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, just the bathrooms. Nothing too bad."

"So how did you break your glasses cleaning? Doesn't seem like too intense of an activity…" Sirius said, look intently at his godson.

Harry felt his heart begin to race as he tried to come up with a suitable excuse. If his godfather knew that Dudley had pushed him, he'd come running to his rescue and possibly hurt the Dursleys in the process. "Oh, I er… fell down the stairs, I can be clumsy. The Dursleys don't have carpet and I was wearing socks while I was going down. I slipped and my glasses fell off and broke. Nothing a little duct tape won't fix."

Sirius looked at him disbelievingly. "The youngest seeker in a century falls down the stairs of his muggle home? Face it mate, you aren't clumsy. How'd your glasses really break?"

"I already told you," Harry said, feeling himself get angry. "I fell down the stairs. The Dursleys haven't done anything, just drop it."

Sirius looked at Harry, and Harry was unnerved to see that the man looked neither surprised nor hurt. In fact, he looked as if he expected this reaction from his godson. "Harry, you promised me the truth-"

"That is the truth! What more do you want?" Harry said, feeling as though he would get major satisfaction from throwing the mirror and watching it shatter. Anything to get him out of this conversation.

"What if I said I don't believe you?" Sirius said, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in.

"Fine then, don't believe me." Harry said, feeling angrier than he had all night. "I don't want to talk anymore though. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Harry, kiddo, I can help you," Sirius tried, and this time Harry could see genuine concern on his godfather's features. This only served to make the boy angrier.

"Goodnight," Harry said, his voice cold. He tossed the mirror back into his book bag and put his face in his hands.

Miles away, Sirius Black stared at his mirror, surprised at the reaction he had just received from his godson. He knew too well the signs of abuse from his own rotten childhood, and he was positive Harry was covering his own troubles up.

"Sounds like that didn't go as well as you thought it would," Remus said, sitting beside Sirius on his couch. The cottage Remus lived in was small, with only a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms; however, it was cozy and Sirius was grateful to get to spend the time with his friend.

"I know he's hiding things from me, and it's only the first day. His glasses were broken when he got on the mirror and they weren't when I dropped him off. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing, but you know as well as I do that Harry's _not_ clumsy. His glasses aren't broken because he fell down the stairs, that much I know." Sirius explained, placing his face in his hands.

"Remember how hard it was for you to tell James about your abuse? It took you three years before you truly came clean about how bad your home life was… Even when you ran away you lied to Mrs. Potter about some of your injuries. You need to have the same patience with Harry that James had with you." Remus explained gently, sad that his friend was hurting so badly.

"I know, but I don't need him to tell me any details… at least, not yet. I just need him to tell me it's happening, I will get him out of there. If I don't hear him say it, though, I can't take it to Dumbledore." Sirius explained, face still buried in his hands.

"Give him some time to calm down, he's probably just worked up. If today was as stressful of a day for him as you seem to think it was, he probably just wants to sleep." Remus reasoned, placing a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "Call him on the mirror tomorrow and tell him how house hunting went, then maybe try and bring it up again."

Sirius nodded and sighed, before standing. "I think I'm going to head on to bed. I need some rest if we're going to find a house tomorrow."

Remus nodded and followed Sirius down the hall towards the rooms, turning off the lights in the living room as he went.

* * *

A/N: Child abuse scene, though small. Read and review, as well as check out some of my other stories!

The next morning came earlier than Harry had expected; he woke up to his aunt screeching from outside his door.

"Get down to the kitchen at once! Rotten boy, wake up!" She said sharply. Harry laid there for a moment as he heard her footsteps fade away. He sighed and rolled out of bed, reluctantly throwing on a pair of pants before walking down stairs and into the kitchen. He was met with a very unfriendly sight.

Uncle Vernon was waiting, an angry look on his face. He was standing above the plate Dudley had broken the night before. It was at that moment that Harry realized, after yelling at his godfather, that he forgot to come back downstairs and clean the kitchen. He cursed himself for his stupidity, but forced himself to look his uncle in the eye. "Yes?"

"What did I tell you to do last night, boy?" Vernon asked, gesturing at the floor where the broken plate resided.

"Clean the kitchen," Harry said with a sigh.

"And why didn't you do it?" Vernon asked, stepping around the plate so he was directly in front of Harry.

"I was talking to Sirius… he wanted to make sure you're treating me right, you know…" Harry mumbled feebly. It felt wrong to be saying that, especially since he denied Sirius the chance to help when he offered the night before.

"You were talking to your godfather. Well, we can't have that getting in the way of your chores, now can we?" Vernon said menacingly. Before Harry could respond, he felt his uncle slap him hard across the face, causing the boy to stagger backwards.

"Careful!" Aunt Petunia scolded, though Harry knew she wasn't saying it out of concern for him. "Don't leave a mark, we don't want _his kind_ coming here because they think we're hurting him!"

Vernon stepped closer to Harry, lifting him up by the arm. "You won't tell them, will you boy?"

Harry felt his uncle squeeze his bicep tighter, and he shook his head in spite of himself.

"Good," Vernon said gruffly, releasing Harry and pushing him backward. "Clean the kitchen, no breakfast."

Harry watched as the three left the room, then slowly began cleaning up the glass on the floor. He was having an inner conflict; could Sirius really disobey Dumbledore and get him out earlier? Or would Sirius just come and try and hurt his relatives? He would give anything to leave before the two weeks were up, but he didn't want to endanger or worry his godfather in the process…

After having an inner conflict with himself, he decided he would call Sirius later and apologize for the way he acted the night before; then, if Sirius asked him any more questions, he would be honest about the Dursley's treatment.

He worked on the kitchen for an hour, stealing the scraps of bacon that were left in the microwave from the Dursley's breakfast. When he deemed it acceptable, he moved upstairs to his room. He paced back and forth across the small space, trying to decide when the proper time to call Sirius would be. He knew the man would be house hunting, but he wasn't sure how long he would be gone. Sitting on his bed, he decided he would read a little bit of a quidditch book Hermione had given him before giving his godfather a call.

* * *

Sirius and Remus had spent most of the morning searching through the outer parts of the village of Hogsmeade for the perfect house. After going to three different houses and having a long conversation in the Hog's Head, Sirius had finally decided to purchase the second house they had visited. It was close enough to Hogsmeade that Harry and him could walk to the village, but also far enough away that they would have privacy. There was a large backyard as well, which Sirius was planning on turning into a small quidditch pitch for Harry. There were three spacious bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining area, two living rooms, a small library and office space, and a cozy den. It was perfect, they decided, and Sirius bought it right before they left the village.

"Three huge bedrooms," Sirius was saying as the two arrived back to Remus's cottage. "I insist you come stay with us as much as possible, Moony. We'll make one of the bedrooms your's."

"I will be over plenty, Padfoot, but I want to give you some more time with just Harry. I got to spend all year with him, you're still getting to know him." Remus explained, beginning to prepare tea in his little kettle.

"Alright, but you have to come to dinner most nights. I can't have _just_ Harry appreciating my cooking, now can I?" Sirius said, barking laughter. Before Remus could respond, however, Sirius heard his name coming from his pocket.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, concern overtaking his features. He hadn't expected to hear from his godson for a couple of days; he wanted to give the boy space after their argument the night before. He had hoped, of course, that Harry would call on his own, but had decided that if he didn't hear from the boy in a few days he would reach out. Apparently he wouldn't have to worry about that.

"Hey Sirius," Harry said sheepishly, looking down. "I… er… are you alone?"

Sirius looked up to Remus apologetically before moving out of the kitchen and into the guest room he had inhabited. "I am now, what's going on, mate?"

"I wanted to apologize for last night… I shouldn't have gotten so angry, especially when… well, you were kind of right." Harry began, watching his godfather closely to see any kind of anger.

Sirius felt his heart begin to race and he forced himself to stay calm, not wanting to do anything rash and frighten his godson. "You don't need to apologize, Harry, I would have reacted the same way."

Harry looked at the man curiously for a moment, before sighing. "Well, my uncle or aunt didn't hurt me or anything, my cousin just pushed me."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Does he do that often?" He asked gently, not wanting to push Harry, but also wanting to take advantage of this opportunity of Harry opening up to him.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he's done it my whole life. He used to call it 'Harry Hunting...' he'd bring his friends over and they'd chase me and hurt me… I got pretty fast though, so it's not as much of a problem now. He just got me by surprise yesterday."

Sirius nodded again, looking sadly at his godson. "I'm sorry he does that to you. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Harry appraised his godfather for a moment, wondering if he should tell him about his treatment in the last twenty four hours. He felt as though he could trust him, despite only knowing him for a couple of weeks; however, what good would it do? He doubted Sirius could get him out of there sooner, and telling his godfather would only make the man angry.

"No, nothing else has really happened," Harry said after a moment, feeling bad for lying to the man again.

Sirius looked at Harry, his eyes searching, and Harry was sure that he was about to accuse him of lying; however, Sirius merely nodded. "I'll talk to Dumbledore, although if it's just you're cousin bothering you, I doubt he'll let me come get you. Please let me know if something else happens, okay kiddo?"

Harry felt his face heat up at the reminder of his lie, and he nodded. "I will."

"So, what have you been up to today?" Sirius asked, clearly able to tell that Harry wanted to change the topic.

"Not too much," Harry said with a shrug. "Dudley's on a new diet, so the whole house has had to go on it. Dudley of course has pitched a fit every meal time…" Harry said, his empty stomach reminding him that this wasn't the entire truth either - he hadn't gotten breakfast at all that morning.

Sirius looked at Harry, concern in his gray eyes. "Are you getting enough to eat? I can send some snacks with Hedwig if you'd like?"

"You'd really do that?" Harry asked, feeling immense gratitude toward the man.

"Of course, what kind of snacks do you like?"

"Er, pumpkin pasties, treacle tart, chocolate frogs, really any sweet from Honeydukes… are you sure you don't mind? I don't need it," Harry mumbled, feeling guilty for bringing it up. "They're feeding me enough, it's just annoying to have to follow Dudley's diet," Harry lied.

"I'd be happy to buy you some food, Harry. I'll send those tomorrow morning by Hedwig and then I'll make sure we have some extra for our new home," Sirius said, a small grin stretching across his features.

"Wait…" Harry said, catching on to what the man was saying. "Did you find one today? I completely forgot you went searching!"

Sirius nodded, smiling at Harry's excited expression. "We did, it's about a five minute broom ride to Hogsmeade. I can't wait for you to see it, I plan to start decorating tomorrow once we finish paperwork."

"That sounds brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat. "Can you see the stars?"

"The stars, the moon, the clouds… whatever you want to see, it's there." Sirius confirmed. "The house is great, there's even a library you can do some summer work in."

"I can't wait," Harry said, feeling the happiest he had in the last twenty four hours. His mood deflated significantly when he reminded himself he wouldn't be there for another two weeks. He fleetingly thought again of telling his godfather the entire truth - that he actually wasn't being fed at all, that Uncle Vernon had hit him. Sirius said he would get him out… but then again, he also said he'd murder Vernon, and Harry wouldn't let his godfather go back to prison over something so small.

Sirius noticed Harry's downtrodden expression, and wasn't sure what to do… he knew the boy was hiding things and lying to him, but he needed to build Harry's trust, and that would have to come with time. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Sirius asked, hoping to take his godson's mind off of whatever he was worrying about.

Harry tensed at the thought of more chores and who knows what else, and this gesture was not unnoticed by Sirius. "Are you okay?" Sirius asked gently.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I don't really have anything planned for this afternoon. Might do some reading or go for a walk before dinner, but other than that, nothing."

"I presume your aunt and uncle don't want your company in any family plans?" Sirius asked knowingly, and Harry nodded, bowing his head.

"That will change when you come here, Harry, I promise you that. I expect you'll be sick of me before long," Sirius said with a grin, prompting a laugh from Harry.

"I doubt it," Harry said, still smiling. "I'll be glad to have normal interaction… that is, if I don't die of boredom here first."

"Maybe if you started on some of that summer work…" Sirius said, trying to sound authoritative, but smirking nonetheless.

"Sirius," Harry groaned, shaking his head. "School ended two days ago!"

"I know, but I want to play quidditch with you this summer, and how am I going to do that if you're stuck in the library writing essays?" Sirius chuckled, his eyes shining with mirth. Of course, he didn't expect Harry to begin his summer work so soon; however, he knew if Lily was still around she would encourage it, so he supposed it didn't hurt to bring it up.

Harry was actually looking contemplative at his godfather's words. "You know… I guess that's not a bad idea. Hermione would be thrilled if I started my work so early and Ron would be… well, scandalized at the thought." Harry said with a fond smile.

"Hey now, I'm just messing with you. I'm a marauder after all… your father and I didn't even consider homework until the week before the train left, if that." Sirius said, barking laughter.

"But you have a point," Harry said. "I don't have anything to do while I'm here, I might as well get it over with so I can enjoy myself when I move in with you."

"I'll let you make that decision," Sirius said, throwing his hands up in innocence. "If you decide to do it now, I'll check over it when you get home to make sure it's alright."

"Okay," Harry said with a nod, smiling at his godfather's words. He had never had an adult care about his school work before - the Dursleys always wanted him to do worse than Dudley, so they discouraged school work and refused to be bothered with reading over Harry's. Sirius's offer was a fresh reminder that he had found someone who cared, at least a little bit; not to mention, Harry really liked the casual way his godfather said "home," when talking about Harry's return.

"Alright. Is there anything else? I think Remus was preparing tea when I left, but I'll call you tomorrow after I send food with Hedwig." Sirius said, not wanting to end the call if Harry still wanted to talk.

"No, that's all. Thanks, Sirius." Harry said, feeling as though a large burden had been taken off his shoulders.

"Don't mention it, mate. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Sirius said with a smile.

"Alright, bye," Harry said, returning the smile, then watching as the mirror swirled back to normal. He sat there for a second, staring at his reflection, before getting up to retrieve his transfiguration assignment for the summer.


	8. The Last Straw

A/N: I am working on my other two stories, I promise! I just have loved writing this one, and I'm struggling to decide where I'm going with some of the upcoming chapters in my other stories. They will be updated at some point this week, I promise! Read and review :) Also, another child abuse warning.

"Sirius!" Remus yelled up to him. "Lunch is ready!"

Sirius had been flying around on his broom, trying to figure out the dimensions of the pitch he wanted to build for his godson. Remus and him had decorated Harry's bedroom that morning, as well as created a beautiful garden in the back yard with a small brook running out towards the woods. That afternoon, Sirius planned to start on the quidditch pitch while Remus furnished the remaining bedrooms. Tomorrow, they would decorate the living room and stock the small library; overall, the house was coming together nicely.

"Coming down!" Sirius yelled back, going into a steep dive. He pulled out of it a few meters away from Remus, causing the man to jump back in alarm and Sirius to bark a laugh.

"You know, I forget how good of a flyer you were - and how much of a pain in the arse you could be about it," Remus added, leading the way inside.

Sirius grinned, putting his broom in the closet. "I was never as good as James was, you know that."

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Quidditch Captain," Remus said with a smile, helping himself to some beef and potatoes from the stove.

"Now, you know as well as I do that the only reason McGonagall made me quidditch captain seventh year is because James was head boy and he needed more free time. He would have been captain again if it hadn't been for that." Sirius said, chuckling as he helped himself to some of the food.

"All I know is that Harry doesn't know what's coming when he actually plays quidditch with you. He's got a lot of talent, but I know you were going easy on him when you two played at Hogwarts last week." Remus said with a smile.

Sirius laughed. "I was just getting to know him then, didn't want to be too much of a challenge. He'll have all summer to learn about my talents."

"What was he up to yesterday?" Remus asked nonchalantly; he knew that something bad was happening at Harry's relatives, but Sirius either wasn't sure or was choosing not to confide in him about it. It was worrying him, especially since he cared about the boy too.

"He didn't say… mentioned that he might start on some summer work, but I don't know. I'm worried about him, Moony. He said that the Dursleys were making him go on a diet because his cousin was on one… he's already so small though. I sent him some sweets from Honeydukes early this morning with a note, but I haven't heard back yet." Sirius mumbled, pushing the potatoes around with his fork.

"Do you think they're treating him alright?" Remus asked, though he felt he already knew the answer.

"I have a bad feeling about them," Sirius said after a moment. "He says it's just their son… Dudley, I think. But why would they let their son get away with that treatment if they cared about Harry? His glasses were still broken yesterday too, you'd think they'd go buy him a new pair if they gave a shit."

Remus looked at his friend sadly. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, honestly." Sirius said, standing up to put his dish away. "My instincts are screaming at me to go and get him now, screw whatever Dumbledore thinks - but what do I have to justify it? A suspicion? That won't be good enough if, for some reason, Dumbledore is right and Voldemort comes knocking and I took Harry away before he could get his yearly protection." Sirius leaned against the counter and signed, running a hand through his now short hair. "I guess I just have to wait and hope Harry trusts me enough to tell me when things get bad."

"I know you're frustrated, Padfoot," Remus said, setting his dish in the sink and patting his friend's shoulder. "Why don't we get to work on this house? Maybe Harry will respond with Hedwig or call you soon."

Sirius nodded, and grabbed his broom before going back outside again and setting to work.

* * *

Breakfast that morning had been worse than it was the previous day. Harry got a quarter of a grapefruit, and Dudley had squeezed all the juice out of it for no reason. He was still angry about being forced on the diet, and he was treating Harry worse than ever. Vernon, on the other hand, seemed to be replacing his physical abuse with trying to exhaust the boy. He had Harry work on their yard after breakfast, and Harry didn't finish up with that until later in the afternoon. Petunia had, surprisingly, left him half a ham sandwich for lunch. After devouring that, Harry went upstairs to his bedroom, hoping to avoid his relatives until dinner that evening.

To his surprise and delight, Harry found Hedwig waiting on his bed when he came upstairs. Relieving her of the package she carried, he stroked her feathers for a moment before opening what his godfather had sent him.

His stomach rumbled loudly as he took in the amount of sweets in front of him - Sirius had outdone himself. The package had practically exploded with packages of pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, fudge, and to Harry's slight embarrassment, two weeks worth of nutrition potions. His heart leaped when he noticed that his godfather had written him a letter along with the food, and he opened it immediately.

 _Harry,_

 _I know I'll probably hear from you tonight, but it felt wrong to send this package without a letter attached. I tried to give you a lot of different foods to choose from, let me know if you want anything else or run out before I come to get you._

 _I'm sure you noticed the nutrition potions in there - I figured those might be nice if you find yourself eating more of my snacks than actual food. I'll call you on the mirror later this evening and you can tell me about your day._

 _Sirius_

Harry smiled as he read the letter; he knew his godfather's over-protectiveness should have bothered him, but he appreciated the care, nonetheless. It was a nice change, compared to what he had grown up with.

With newfound cheeriness, Harry sent back a short thank you note with Hedwig, ensuring the man that he would call him that evening around dinner time. Once she was gone, Harry grabbed the box of sweets and moved over to his desk, where his homework sat. He had started his transfiguration essay last night, and felt he could finish it by that evening if the Dursleys left him alone; however, based on his uncle's treatment as of late, he wasn't going to get his hopes up.

Halfway through explaining the basics of animagus abilities in his essay - which he decided he would ask his godfather about, as well - Vernon came to the door. "Boy!"

Harry got up from his bed and strode over to the door, opening it apprehensively. "Sir?"

"Is my bathroom clean yet?" Vernon barked, spit flying out of his mouth.

"I cleaned it two days ago," Harry said, feeling his temper rise. "-sir," he added after a moment, noticing the deep shade of puce the man's face was turning.

"Well you did a shit job of it," Vernon said, bristling. "Get in there and clean it, now."

"I've been fixing the garden all morning! Can't it wait-" Harry began to protest, only to be cut off when Vernon reached for him.

Vernon grabbed the boy's unruly hair and pulled, causing Harry to yelp. He pushed Harry into the hallway and onto the floor. Harry looked up at the man angrily, yet he was slightly afraid - Vernon had never seriously injured him, but the man was unpredictable when he was in a rage.

"You-" Vernon started, bending over Harry. "Will clean that bathroom. If you finish with enough time for dinner, we'll save you some. If you're going to stay under our roof, though, you will work. Do you understand?"

Harry kept his mouth shut, content on staying silent. Vernon watched the boy for a moment before straightening himself and thumping back downstairs.

After a moment, Harry pulled himself up, wincing from where his head had hit the floor. He walked down to his aunt and uncle's bathroom and began on the toilet, which was spotless only two days prior, but was now disgusting.

He started thinking yet again, while scrubbing the toilet, whether he should tell Sirius about his uncle. Surely being pushed around and made to work nonstop would be unacceptable behavior in Dumbledore's eyes… or would it? Did Dumbledore know that this was how Harry had lived his entire life? If so, it wouldn't make a difference if Harry told Sirius because Dumbledore wouldn't allow Harry to leave. Still, if Sirius could sneak him out, it would be worth telling the man… he wasn't sure how much longer he could deal with being the Dursley's slave.

No, Harry told himself as he moved on to the shower, running the water over the bottom. If he told Sirius, his godfather would only get angry. He would try and hurt the Dursleys, he said it himself at the train station. Harry was so close to having a new home and being with someone who actually cared, he was not going to risk that.

He worked diligently for another hour, hoping that if he cleaned the bathroom really well this time, he wouldn't have to do it for a few days. Throwing the cleaning supplies back under the sink, Harry moved quietly to his room, praying that Vernon wouldn't see him in the hallway and give him something else to do.

When he was back in his room safely, Harry paced the floor, trying to decide what to do. He figured he had about thirty minutes until dinner, which really wasn't enough time to start back on his essay. Maybe he could call Sirius now, then finish the essay up after dinner, when the Dursleys were sure to leave him alone. They always watched the telly together in the evenings, and hated for Harry to join them, so he was guaranteed two hours without being disturbed once they started.

Making his decision, Harry settled himself against the wall on his bed, and pulled the mirror out of his pocket.

"Sirius Black!" Harry waited for a moment before the grinning face of his godfather appeared in front of him.

"Hey mate," Sirius said. "How's your day?"

"As good as it could have been, I guess. Had to do some garden work and clean the bathroom. Breakfast was awful though; Dudley pitched a fit and squished my grapefruit. I was expected to clean all morning without much to eat." Harry had decided to confide a few details to his godfather to gauge the man's reaction - if he got too upset, Harry would stop there and try and stick out the last week and a half. If not, however, Harry would push his luck and see if Sirius would help him escape. To Harry's disappointment, yet slight appreciation, Sirius looked immensely concerned.

"Did you get a larger meal for lunch, then?" Sirius asked, trying to sound casual, though Harry could hear the twinge of anger in it.

"Well… no, I don't think so. They don't want Dudley to complain if I get more food than he does. I got half of a ham sandwich." Harry said with a shrug. Harry saw Sirius's furious expression and back-tracked. "I mean, I ate some of the snacks you gave me and had a nutrition potion, so I'm fine, Sirius, really." Harry felt his face heat up as the lie slipped from his lips. He had planned to eat some of the snacks while working on his essay, but he had been on a roll with writing and only stopped when his uncle came to the door. The truth was, all he had eaten was the sandwich that Petunia so graciously left after he had worked the entire morning.

"Oi, Harry, that's not enough food for a five year old!" Sirius said, looking intently at his godson. "And you said they made you do chores today? How long did you have to do those for?"

Recognizing that his godfather was getting upset, and not wanting to make the man worry, Harry retreated, accepting that he would need to stick out the last week and a half with his relatives. "Oh, only an hour or so this morning, before it got too hot." This was not the case at all, but he didn't need the man worrying over him when he had so many other things to deal with this week.

He felt guilty about lying to his godfather, especially since the man had been so open with him the first few weeks they had known each other; Harry truly felt as if he could trust Sirius, and he would gladly discuss anything beyond the Dursley's with him. For some reason, the Dursleys seemed different, like something Harry just needed to deal with on his own.

"What about Dudley? What chores did he do?" Sirius asked, not looking reassured.

"Er- he's never really had to do chores. It's alright though, Sirius, really. I'm used to it. It's not that much to do and it keeps me busy. The days are flying by, and soon I'll be at your house." Harry said positively, wanting the angry look in his godfather's eyes to go away.

Sirius grunted in response, and Harry took this as his opportunity to change subject. "So, what does the house look like?"

"It's on top of a hill and the view is breath-taking," Sirius said after a moment; it appeared he was still thinking about Harry being forced to do chores and not being fed well. "There also might be a place for us to play quidditch. How's that sound?"

Before Harry could respond, Vernon's deep, angry voice yelled up the stairs. "BOY, DINNER'S READY. IF YOU DON'T GET DOWN HERE, YOU AREN'T GETTING ANY."

Sirius frowned again, and looked at Harry. "You're uncle?"

Harry nodded, feeling his face flush again. "Yeah. He's just got a temper, he doesn't really mean that I won't eat." Harry knew that this is exactly what it meant, but he wouldn't tell his godfather that.

"You're sure?" Sirius asked skeptically. At Harry's nod, he sighed. "Right then, well I won't keep you. Have a good day tomorrow, and call me on the mirror tomorrow night, alright?"

Harry nodded again, smiling. Being able to talk to his godfather every night was really helping him, even if he wasn't able to tell the man the full extent of his relatives treatment. Just knowing that there was someone out there who cared for him like a parent would was enough to get him by.

"Right then. Goodnight mate, sleep well." Sirius said with a smile.

Before Harry could say his own goodnight, he heard footsteps storming up the staircase. Praying that Sirius had already ended the call, Harry shoved the mirror under his pillow, then stood up, preparing for Vernon to come inside.

Sirius, however, remained on the call, wanting to hear the conversation his godson had with his uncle.

"Did you hear me, boy?" Vernon said menacingly when he stepped inside. "Ungrateful freak, we're here offering you food and you don't want to accept it."

"Well if it's anything like breakfast and lunch were, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. I can't imagine that a quarter of a grapefruit is doing you in-" Harry said, attempting to walk by his uncle.

Vernon grabbed Harry's arm harshly and yanked him back in the room. "Watch your mouth. If it had been up to me, you would have gone straight to the orphanage. You've wasted our space for years now and I will not put up with you talking to me like that. It was right nice of us to keep you."

"Let go of me," Harry said angrily, attempting to pull out of Vernon's grasp, but the man held tight.

"You'll go down there, eat what we give you, then clean the kitchen. After that, I don't want to hear a peep from you the rest of the evening. I'll lock you in here if I have to." Vernon spat.

"Why can't Dudley clean the kitchen? I've cleaned it every night since I got here. He has two arms that aren't broken." Harry spat back. He knew he was pushing his luck, but with a new home so close in sight, he didn't much care what his uncle thought of him.

"That does it!" Vernon said, pushing Harry onto the floor. "No dinner, you can starve for all I care. You're in here until morning. Maybe you'll learn some respect; you'll be cleaning the kitchen after breakfast." Harry watched in horror as Vernon's large, toed boot came crashing into the fleshy part of his stomach; he flopped backwards, spluttering and trying to catch his breath.

Harry groaned as his uncle left the room, listening as each lock clicked into place, counting them off in his head. He laid on the ground for a couple of moments, trying to collect himself.

Sirius was still on the mirror call, enraged by Vernon's actions. At the moment, he was trying to decide whether or not to alert Harry of his presence, or just go straight to Dumbledore. He was certain of one thing though - Harry was not staying there another week. No matter what Dumbledore thought, Sirius would be taking him home and never letting him go back.

He heard another groan from Harry, and was worried that if he waited until morning to get him, something worse could happen. Shutting the mirror off, Sirius bounded out of his new bedroom and into the kitchen, where Remus was preparing dinner.

"I'm going to get Harry," Sirius said, deathly quiet.

Remus turned around, surprised, but not questioning his friend. "I don't think that's such a bad idea. Have you told Dumbledore?"

"No, will you take care of that for me?" Sirius asked, slipping on his shoes and reaching for his wand, which he had left on the kitchen table. "Tell him that I would be happy to give him pensieve memories if he wants evidence for when we take the Dursley's to trial, but I don't have time to deliver them at the moment. Don't tell him anything other than that, though, I want to be the one to talk to him about it. I'll catch you up tonight when Harry goes to bed." He said, squeezing his friend's shoulder as he passed him walking towards the door.

"Sirius," Remus said urgently, causing his friend to turn around. "Get Harry and leave - if you stick around there and give those muggles what, I have no doubt, they deserve, you could go back to Azkaban."

Sirius nodded slightly, looking at the ground. "Believe me, Remus, if I do anything to his _relatives_ ," Sirius started, spitting the word, "it'll be using muggle methods. Nothing in wizarding law says I can't beat Vernon to a pulp with my fists; I'm just not allowed to use magic against them."

Remus nodded solemnly, understanding that his friend was entirely serious in his intentions. "Just think of Harry first… I know you will, but if he wants to get out of there, get him away from them. Like you said, we'll get them in court."

Sirius sighed, but nodded as he reached for the door knob. "You're right… still, I can't promise I won't take a punch or two at his uncle for good measure."

Remus smiled slightly. "Can't blame you… make it two, throw a good right hook for me."

Sirius chuckled dryly before stepping out into the muggy summer evening and apparating to Little Whinging.


	9. The Cottage

Fifteen minutes later, Harry still hadn't gotten off the floor. Vernon had really knocked the wind out of him, and the boy was absolutely exhausted from his day of chores and lack of food. He would move to his bed in a few minutes, but for the moment, the cool wood against his face felt a little refreshing.

He perked up a bit, however, when he heard a knock at the door. The Dursleys _never_ had surprise guests and they surely would have told Harry if someone was coming over; they wouldn't want him being "strange" in front of important clients or neighbors, after all. No, Harry thought, sitting up a little, this had to be someone from his world. No one else would show up, unannounced in the evening.

 _I hope it's Sirius_ , Harry thought to himself, despite the bad things that could happen if Sirius attacked his relatives. He got up off the floor and slowly moved over to his bed. He still really hadn't caught his breath from Vernon's kick.

Downstairs, Vernon was angrily getting up from his place on the couch beside his wife. "Who in the bloody blazes is coming around here this time of night! Trying to sell something, I'm sure… well I'm not giving them a damn penny," he shouted as he approached the front door. He gasped and took a step back when he opened the door, recognizing immediately who it was. "What the hell are you doing here?" Vernon demanded, allowing Sirius to step inside and close the door.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius said angrily, stepping up close to Vernon while being as threatening as he could manage. Sirius had always been a tall man, and he towered over Vernon easily; however, Vernon had a solid two hundred pounds on him, especially with all the weight Sirius had lost since being in prison. Nonetheless, Sirius expected he could do some damage while he waited on his godson to pack his rucksack.

"U-upstairs," Vernon squeaked, pointing.

Sirius gave the man one last dirty look before rushing up the stairs. The first door on the right had twelve locks on it, and at first Sirius passed it, thinking it was nothing more than a closet. After searching the other three rooms on that level, however, Sirius realized it was the only other room in which his godson could be. Unlocking the bolts, Sirius gently pushed the door open.

"Harry? Mate, you in here?" Sirius whispered, opening it more when he saw the boy sitting on the bed. Relief swept through him at seeing his godson awake and seemingly okay. "Hey love, you ready to go? I'm taking you home early."

Harry looked surprised, but didn't make a move to get off the bed. "Really? Did Dumbledore change his mind?"

"Er… no," Sirius said sheepishly, sitting beside his godson and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I stayed on the mirror tonight after we finished talking." At this confession, Harry turned bright red and looked to the floor. Sirius smiled a little and squeezed his shoulder. "We can talk about all that later, right now just pack everything you want to take with you. You won't be back."

"Really?" Harry asked, hope shining in his green eyes. "Won't Dumbledore make me come back next year?"

"Over my dead body," Sirius said, brushing a gentle hand through Harry's hair before standing up. "I'll give you a couple of minutes to pack up in here. I'm going to have a word with Vernon."

Harry visibly tensed at this, which alarmed Sirius. "You don't want me to talk to him?" Sirius questioned, remembering Remus's advice from earlier.

"Er… you can, I guess. You won't do anything to him will you?" Harry asked nervously.

"I won't use any magic against him, if that's what you're asking." Sirius said slowly. "I want to inform him that you'll never be back and… well I was considering throwing a punch or two in there for good measure, but I would never risk getting thrown back in Azkaban when you need me."

Harry grinned a little at the thought of his godfather beating up his uncle. "You sure you can't get in trouble for punching him?"

"Not with wizarding law, anyway," Sirius said with a shrug. "The muggle authorities could be called on me for assault, but they can't find me where we're going."

Harry nodded. "Okay, I'll be down in a second." Sirius watched him for a moment, as Harry reached down under the floorboards and packed his belongings into a rucksack. Wanting to give the boy a bit of privacy, and _really_ wanting to speak to Vernon, he left the room and walked back downstairs into their living room. Petunia shrieked at the sight of him and Dudley looked as if he just wet himself.

"Are you taking him?" Vernon asked gruffly, not moving from his spot on the couch.

"I am," Sirius said, stepping closer. "You didn't deserve my godson. I know what you did to him tonight and we're taking you to court. I'm sure you'll be hearing from us soon."

Vernon spluttered indignantly, standing up to face Sirius, then stepping back when he remembered the height difference between the two of them. "Now listen here! He's perfectly fine, just get out of here and leave our _normal_ family alone. We're happy to see the back of him! Anything he got while he was here, he deserved, the wretched little vermin-"

Vernon staggered backwards as Sirius's fist collided with the side of his face, and Petunia shrieked again, but made no move to come near. "You deserve much worse than that," Sirius said, spitting. "I would do it myself, but Harry needs me, and I'm not going to risk going back to prison."

At that, Sirius turned to find Harry staring at his uncle on the floor, surprised, but also looking slightly triumphant. He looked up at his godfather as the man walked towards him. "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

Harry nodded, shouldering his bag and following Sirius out the front door. The night air was warm and muggy, and smelled fresh. Harry felt a new sense of freedom surrounding him, but a sense of anxiety was holding it down. Sirius had to be angry with him - Harry had lied and Sirius caught him in it. Surely there would be retribution; no, it probably wouldn't be like the Dursley's punishments, but even Ron would be in trouble if he lied to his parents. He had to admit, he was a little apprehensive to see what his godfather would do.

They walked silently to the end of the street, where Sirius stopped abruptly and turned to face his godson. "Have you ever apparated?"

"Er… no, what's that?" Harry asked, still lost in his guilty thoughts about lying.

"It's a form of transportation. It's going to feel a bit like your suffocating, but it should only last a moment." Sirius explained, holding out his arm. "Hold tight to my arm and keep your other hand on your bag."

Harry nodded and obeyed, grabbing onto his godfather's forearm tightly. The man spun quickly, and then Harry was engulfed in darkness, unable to move or breath.

Just as quickly as it started, it was over, and Harry stumbled, only for his godfather to catch him. Sirius chuckled above him as he helped him to his feet. "You'll get used to it eventually."

Any response Harry had planned to give was taken from him when he saw the house. It wasn't a mansion by any means, but it was a beautiful cottage with a fair amount of space. The property itself was large, with woodland surrounding it on all sides. It looked mystical and gave Harry the warm feeling he always got when he visited the Burrow.

Harry was taken out of his reverie when his godfather put an arm around his shoulders. "What do you think?" The man asked gently, surveying his godson for his reaction.

"It's… Sirius, it's amazing." Harry said breathlessly, looking up at the balconies on the second floor. "You can see the sky."

"Of course," Sirius said with a grin, steering the boy towards the front door. "That was your one request, after all."

Harry smiled back at the man and allowed himself to step inside. Delicious scents wafted over to them as they stepped in the foyer, and Harry's stomach rumbled. He blushed slightly, remembering that he hadn't eaten much that day.

"Come on, mate," Sirius said, leading the way down the hall. "I'll give you the grand tour after dinner, Moony's made shepherd's pie."

Harry followed quickly, stopping when he reached the kitchen. It was spacious and traditional looking, perfect for cooking big meals at home. He smiled as Remus greeted him by the breakfast table and he stepped closer.

"How are you, Harry?" Remus asked as Sirius pulled a chair back for him. Harry sat in the chair proffered and smiled up at his godfather as the man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm good," Harry said, watching as Sirius piled his plate with a heavy serving of shepherd's pie. "That's too much-" Harry started, only to be cut off by his godfather.

"You didn't get enough to eat today… or this week. Try and finish all of that, but if you can't it's okay. We'll save what's left over." Sirius said, moving to his seat and beginning to fill his own plate.

Harry sat in his chair for a moment, watching the two men begin to eat. Nothing made sense - why wasn't Sirius angry with him for lying? Why wasn't he being punished, or at least scolded? It frightened him a little bit to think that he had no idea what to expect from his godfather.

"Sirius," Harry finally said after a moment, watching his godfather look up questioningly. "Why… why aren't you mad at me? I lied to you the past few days about my relatives… I thought, well… I don't know…" He finished lamely, looking at his full plate.

Sirius put his fork down and started at Harry for a moment, before sighing and nodding. "I was going to wait to talk about it after dinner, but now is as good a time as ever, I suppose. I don't blame you for lying to me because I can relate."

Harry looked up at his godfather with surprised eyes, turning to Remus for confirmation. At Remus's nod, Harry looked down at his food again.

"I'm not happy with you for lying to me, and that will need to be something that you and I work on in the future, but if I got angry with you for that, I would be a hypocrite." Sirius explained sheepishly.

Harry waited for Sirius to continue, but when his godfather didn't elaborate, he felt the need to ask. "What do you mean?"

Sirius swallowed and placed his hands in his lap. "I told you I came from a bad family, Harry. I don't just mean bad in the sense that they were dark wizards… they were, but they were also awful to me. I was scared of them growing up, and I tried to behave, but sometimes I couldn't stay out of trouble. They knew I was different from them and they hurt me for it. When I got to Hogwarts, I stopped being afraid of them and started fighting back, but they only got harsher with their punishments. I didn't tell anyone much information - James and Remus knew my parents were awful, but they didn't know the full extent. I finally ran away the summer before fifth year, to your father's house, and that's when I came clean to everyone. So, even though I wish you had told me the truth, I know what it's like to be in your shoes and I can't blame you for it in the slightest. It's in no way your fault, what they did to you, and you couldn't really control the way you reacted and dealt with the abuse."

Harry sat there for a moment, taking in all his godfather had just told him, and feeling all the more guilty for lying. It took a lot of courage and trust for Sirius to confide in him so much, and Harry had repaid that with lies. Face burning, he wanted to double check that Sirius truly understood, that he really wasn't angry.

"So… you're sure you're not mad at me, then?" Harry mumbled, picking up his fork to keep eating.

"Love, there are so many people I'm mad at right now, but you could never be one of them. Alright?" Sirius said, and his tone was so gentle that Harry believed him immediately. Harry nodded and smiled slightly, before digging into his shepherd's pie.

"Wow, Remus, this is delicious!" Harry said after a moment of chewing, shoveling another bite into his mouth. He had forgotten what eating good food was like during his short stay with the Dursleys.

"Woah now," Sirius said with a smile, relieved to see the boy eating. "You'll choke if you don't slow down, and then Dumbledore would really be on my case."

Harry stopped chewing altogether, and his happy grin turned anxious. "He won't make me go back, will he?"

"He can't," Remus chimed in, putting his fork down. "Sirius is your legal guardian. By law, only Sirius can decide with whom you stay. If Dumbledore tries, Sirius can press charges for attempting to breach a will set up by your parents."

Harry nodded, the anxious feeling in his chest loosening. "If you were so suspicious of the Dursley's, why'd you let me go back?" He asked after a moment.

Sirius sighed, this time looking very guilty. Harry instantly felt bad for asking - he could tell his godfather was blaming himself for the situation. He knew the man didn't send him to his relatives on purpose; however, it gave him a sense of appreciation to know that he regretted it. Harry had to admit that he had harbored a small grudge since the Hogsmeade trip when Sirius told him he had to go to the Dursleys for two weeks; it felt like a betrayal in some ways. The promise of a new home only for an exception to arise, and even if it was Dumbledore's fault, Harry had felt as though Sirius was prioritizing Dumbledore's plan over his well-being. Regardless, Harry still didn't want his godfather to dwell on it or feel any worse about it. He opened his mouth to apologize for asking, but Sirius cut him off with his own explanation.

"I didn't know much about Petunia; I had met her once when I was Lily's date to her wedding." At Harry's surprised look, Sirius grinned and shook his head. "I know what you're thinking and the answer is no. Your mother and I were never romantic, but we were pretty good friends before James and her got together. We bonded fifth year later in the evenings in Gryffindor common room; her sister made her feel like an outcast in her family, and I was feeling similar because of my own parents. Of course, by the time Petunia got married, Lily was dating James, but Lily somehow had it in her head that I was better behaved at formal events than James-"

"And you were, Padfoot." Remus interrupted with a grin. "As much as you deplore it, you were raised attending fancy parties and knew all of the etiquette, as well as how to dance. James never experienced anything like that and only learned to dance for Lily. I can see why she picked you as her date."

"Yeah, yeah, anyway," Sirius said, shaking his head fondly. "That was the only real experience I ever had with Petunia, and even then I could tell she was a bitter woman marrying a vile man. I knew it wouldn't be a good combination. However, when your parents died, Hagrid _insisted_ that Dumbledore knew what he was doing, sending you to them, and I foolishly trusted him. That was my first mistake," Sirius said, looking down at his now empty plate. "My second mistake was allowing you to return when I got custody of you this summer, especially after you told me you hated it there. I wrongly assumed that it would be okay and didn't realize how bad they were until you had pulled away in their car. The moment I dropped you off with them I had a bad feeling and should have gone to get you immediately, but I waited because Dumbledore had insisted that staying with them was what's best. It's not though, and I plan to tell him that bright and early tomorrow morning."

Harry nodded, feeling better at hearing his godfather's regrets about the situation. "Other than talking to Dumbledore, what are you doing tomorrow?" He asked, hoping to change the topic away from the Dursleys now that he got his explanation. He didn't want Sirius asking for any details about his short stay with them.

"I'm going to wake up early, speak to Dumbledore, then go to the Ministry to find out how I can press charges on your relatives… with your consent, of course." Sirius said, looking at his godson sideways.

Harry felt his heart begin to race - he did _not_ want to see his uncle again, and definitely didn't want to relive his memories of abuse in front of a courtroom. He felt his heart begin to constrict with panic, and he responded to it in the only way he knew how - anger.

"Don't," Harry said, harsher than he had intended. "I don't need them to think I'm a child who can't handle himself. Not to mention, I don't need the entire wizarding world to know that Harry Potter was beat up by his muggle uncle."

"Harry," Remus started, but the boy cut him off.

"No, I won't do it." Harry said, glaring between the two adults.

Sirius and Remus shared a look, and then both turned towards Harry. The boy's initial anger was fading, and it was being replaced by apprehension; Vernon would have never let him get away with talking back like that… how would Sirius react?

"I understand what you're saying Harry, but I would like for you to think about it. It would be a private court in muggle London, and the only people in our world that would know about it would be the department in the Ministry that handles muggle liaison. It would not be publicized at all. In terms of facing your aunt and uncle, that's a decision I will leave up to you. I will say this though," Sirius said, standing up and grabbing his empty plate off the table. "What they did to you was _wrong_. I restrained myself from punishing them for their despicable acts, but they deserve worse than the punch I gave your uncle. Just, think about it, alright?"

Harry watched as his godfather turned away to wash his dish, surprised that the man hadn't even raised his voice to match Harry's. He felt guilty, yet again, for getting so angry with him, but he stood firm on his decision not to take his relatives to court. He wanted to be done with them, finally, once and for all.

Sirius turned once the dish was washed and observed his godson. "You look beat, mate. Why don't I show you your room for tonight so you can get some sleep? We can save the grand tour of the house for tomorrow, maybe after Moony and I decorate some more, yeah?"

Harry nodded gratefully and stood up to follow his godfather upstairs, bidding Remus a sheepish goodnight as he went. Sirius took him up to the second floor and gestured to a big room - even bigger than the dorms at Hogwarts.

Harry's eyes opened wide as he stepped inside. The room was painted a yellow-gold color, with big windows on the far wall looking out onto a magnificent garden. A large, four-poster bed was against the wall to his right, and the bedspread was a fiery red color. A bookshelf and desk sat in another corner, which had both old and new defense books on the shelves. There was a large, walk-in closet to his left, which contained quite a few new sets of muggle clothes, as well as his trunk and other belongings. Harry looked to his godfather in awe, and Sirius smirked.

"I took the liberty of purchasing you some new clothes when I went to Hogsmeade the other day. You deserved better than the hand-me-downs you've been wearing. We can toss those old clothes if you'd like. Make sure you try on the new one's tomorrow though, I'm not sure if they're your size." Sirius explained, gesturing to the closet.

Harry nodded, taking in the room again. "It's amazing, thank you."

"Course," Sirius said with a shrug, patting his godson on the back. "Now, you get some rest. If you're up for it, you can help us decorate some tomorrow."

Harry smiled and nodded. "That sounds great." He hesitated for a moment, before leaning in and hugging the man abruptly. "Thank you for coming to get me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Sirius hugged the boy back, lightly patting his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here now. It's a huge weight off my shoulders to have you away from your relatives."

Harry smiled before pulling away and turning to step further into his room. "Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight, mate," Sirius said, turning to close the door behind him. "I'll call you for breakfast tomorrow."

Little did Sirius know, as he shut the door, how much anxiety that statement caused his godson. Harry stood for a moment, surprised, turning the phrase over in his head. Of course he would have to make breakfast for them - they had done much more for him than the Dursleys had, so it was only expected that he do something so little for them in return. Still, it was almost perfect... having a family take care of him, rather than him serve the family. He knew it was just too good to be true.

 _It won't be like the Dursleys_ , Harry told himself sternly as he changed into his new pajamas that Sirius had bought. Making breakfast was a small price to pay for a much better life, so he would wake up early and do it. Sighing, Harry turned to his bed and climbed in, prepared for what would hopefully be his first decent night's sleep.


	10. Redecorating

A/N: I do plan to finish every story, I've just had some writer's block on my other two and this one is flowing so easily. I'm working on new chapters for both of the others though, feel free to throw some ideas out if you'd like. For now, here's a new chapter. Read and review!

Harry woke groggily at 9:30 the next morning. Once he got his bearings and realized how late it was, he bounded out of bed. He thought that Sirius would wake him up to cook, just as Aunt Petunia always had, but maybe he expected Harry to wake up and begin on his own?

Jumping in the shower quickly, he cleansed himself as thoroughly as possible while also trying to move fast. Drying off, he moved out of his bathroom and into the closet, looking through the new clothes to find a suitable outfit for redecorating the house. Choosing a red Gryffindor t-shirt and some tan colored shorts, he put them on, then went back into the bathroom to attempt to comb his hair. Giving up on that, he walked swiftly out of the bathroom, his bedroom, and into the hallway.

Harry stepped out onto the landing where their staircase was and stood in awe. He had missed just how beautiful the entrance to the house was the night before. He could see the tall, oak front door from where he was standing on the landing; two silver sets of armor stood on each side of the door, as if guarding it. Large windows ran up to the ceiling behind the armor and let in golden natural light. If the foyer was so welcoming, he couldn't wait to see the rest of the house; however, remembering how late it was, Harry bounded down the stairs, accepting that he would need to finish breakfast before he took a look around.

Harry walked down the hallway that led to their kitchen, but paused outside the door; the smell of warm coffee wafted out to him, and he could hear Remus and Sirius talking low behind the door. Confused, Harry pushed it open.

Both men immediately looked up at Harry, surprised.

"Good morning, mate." Sirius said, pulling out the vacant chair to his right. "I didn't think you'd be up for another hour. We'll start cooking breakfast in a bit."

Harry looked at the proffered chair wearily. "You don't want me to cook breakfast?" He asked, stepping closer to the table where the men were seated.

Sirius and Remus shared a look, then both shook their heads.

"I'm happy to fix you something to eat. If you ever _want_ to cook breakfast for yourself, feel free, but I don't expect you to cook for me. I was thinking about making pancakes this morning, how does that sound?" Sirius said, smiling as Harry finally sat down in the chair at the table.

"Good," Harry said, feeling a new relief sweep over him. He didn't have to cook here - that was something he could get used to.

"Right, so after breakfast, Moony and I were going to finish up decorating. We have all the bedrooms done, as well as the kitchen, and the garden. That mostly leaves the living room, den, and library. I've also got a surprise outside that I need to finish, so you can help Moony in here if you'd like. Does that sound good?" Sirius explained, picking up Remus and his coffee mugs and taking them to the sink. He tapped his wand once and a sponge began to magically clean the dishes.

"Yeah, brilliant," Harry said with a nod. Then, after a moment, "weren't you going to go see Dumbledore?"

Sirius had his back turned, setting up the stove with his wand. He sighed quietly. "Yes, at some point. I wanted to spend some time with you and so long as the man doesn't come knocking down our door to take you back to your aunt and uncle, I figured I could delay my visit."

Harry thought this was weird, especially considering Sirius's passion about seeing Dumbledore the night before - he had a strange feeling it had to do with his refusal of taking his aunt and uncle to court. Regardless, he nodded and busied himself with a thread on his shirt.

A moment later, Sirius returned to the table. Harry looked up at the stove and saw pancakes cooking on their own.

"Wicked," he said quietly. Sirius and Remus both looked at him, a little perplexed. Harry continued, "I just feel so disconnected from the wizarding world over the summers - it's cool to see all that magic can do when I'm back."

Remus nodded knowingly. "My mum was a muggle, so she was amazed for years after she met my dad. I don't know that she ever really got used to it; we kind of hid from the wizarding world once I was bitten. My parents were afraid the ministry would send me to a colony when I was old enough."

Harry watched as Sirius reached over and squeezed Remus's hand. Remus smiled gratefully.

"So… you hid until you got your Hogwarts letter? Why did your parents let you go if they were afraid of the ministry?" Harry asked, curiously. He hadn't had much of a chance to talk to Remus after he learned that the man was a werewolf.

"Dumbledore actually came by the house to deliver my letter - he convinced my mum. My dad was pretty excited that I could go and learn, but my mum was terrified something bad would happen." Remus explained."Fortunately, I made it through all seven years with no issues - unless you count all the detentions I got because of this one," he said with good humor, jabbing a finger in Sirius's direction.

Sirius snorted, shaking his head good naturedly. "Moony, you came up with half of the pranks that we got into trouble for - I don't think it's fair to say I put you in _every_ one of them."

Harry smiled at their jabber - he had so much he wanted to learn about their days at Hogwarts, and about his parents. He also wanted to learn more about his godfather's life growing up, but after their last conversation, he was scared to ask. Sure, Sirius had never gotten angry for his curiosity, but his childhood was clearly a sore subject.

Before he could muster the courage to ask again, however, Sirius had stood up and gone back to the stove. He summoned three plates to him and magically placed the pancakes on each one.

When he brought the food over, Harry realized that his was piled high with four pancakes, whereas Sirius and Remus only had two - he opened his mouth to comment on this, but Remus beat him to it.

"Sirius, mate, I know you're worried about Harry, but you need to eat more too." He scolded lightly, accepting his food.

Sirius stared at the plate in front of him, looking slightly nauseous. "I'm not used to eating a lot yet, I think I'd get sick if I ate more than a couple of pancakes. Cut me some slack," he said after a moment, grinning. "I spent twelve years eating sludge."

Remus rolled his eyes, apparently used to the casual way Sirius spoke of Azkaban; Harry, however, did not miss the haunted look that shone in his godfather's grey eyes. Growing up, he thought he always had it bad with food - he always got the smallest plate, and most of the time it was either burned or cold. The Dursley's food, however, had to have been better than Azkaban gruel.

Harry looked up from his godfather's plate and saw Sirius watching him, his eyes concerned. He realized that the man was waiting for him to begin eating. Harry wanted to say something, tell Sirius he didn't need to fuss over him because he was capable of eating on his own, but the look in his godfather's eyes stopped him. Sirius had been so worried about him the past three days, and that alone was so much more than the Dursley's had ever done. With this in mind, Harry obediently began eating his larger pile of pancakes, noticing, with relief, that Sirius began to eat as well.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying their first breakfast together in the house. Soon, Sirius and Remus began to tell Harry stories from Hogwarts, beginning with the night they first met.

"James and I had such a great time that first train ride," Sirius reflected fondly. "We didn't meet Remus until after we had been sorted, but we became close very quickly."

"You met my dad as soon as you got on the train?" Harry questioned. "That's how Ron and I met… well, we met on the station, actually. I didn't know how to get onto the platform and my relatives had just left."

Sirius and Remus both frowned at that. "They left you alone at the station?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded. "I think they thought it was funny - they didn't believe that there was a Platform 9 and ¾."

Sirius looked angry. "As many times as Petunia went to the station with her parents! She knew exactly where it was and what you would need to do."

"Well, I'm not surprised she didn't tell me." Harry said, thoughtfully. "If Vernon had found out she knew _anything_ about magic, I'm sure he would have gone for a divorce."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "That man is vile."

"He is," Harry agreed, nodding. They lapsed into silence at this, finishing up what remained of their breakfast. After a few minutes, Remus cleared his throat.

"I suspect we should begin decorating - the day will be gone before we know it, and this house is far from finished."

Sirius nodded and stood, banishing the dishes to the sink. "I'm going to go outside and work on the surprise. I'll come back in here when it's finished."

Harry watched his godfather walk out of the room, then turned to Remus, who was also getting out of his seat. Remus smirked at him. "I know you're curious about what he's doing; you're going to love the surprise."

"Really?" Harry asked, following the man out of the room.

"Really," Remus said, leading him down the hallway and back out into the foyer. They walked down another, more hidden hallway behind the staircase, which lead into a high-ceilinged library. Harry stared around in awe of the empty bookshelves, which stretched to the roof. There were large windows on one of the walls, which showed a beautiful garden with a meandering brook outside. Harry stepped closer to get a look at the magical creatures playing throughout the garden.

"I can't wait for Hermione to see this," Harry said, turning back around to face Remus. "She'd love it… er, well, she'll love it when we stock some books in here."

Remus chuckled. "Well, that's the plan for today. It should go much faster with you and I together."

Harry nodded, approaching the boxes stacked up in the corners. "Why did Sirius want a library? Does he like to read?"

Harry watched as Remus levitated ten books to the very top shelf. "Sirius hasn't ever been a bookworm, if that's what you're asking. He's brilliant though, Harry, and he likes to learn. I think he partially wanted a quiet space for you to study, but I'm sure he'll use it plenty too."

Harry nodded and stood awkwardly to the side. He didn't want to get in Remus's way, but he also wasn't exactly sure how he could help in this situation.

"I suppose you haven't learned the banishing charm yet?" Remus asked, levitating another stack of books.

"Er… no," Harry said, watching as heavy volumed guides to alchemy and potions flew upwards.

"It's _depulso_ ," Remus said, lifting another stack into the air. "You can try it - you won't get into any trouble for doing magic here, this place is practically unplottable."

Harry concentrated, held out his wand and said the word - it sort of worked. The book he wanted to banish to the top shelf flew straight into the air; however, gravity caused it to fly back down before it could make it to an upper shelf.

Remus chuckled. "Don't feel bad, mate, it's a fourth year spell. Why don't you try a few more times, and if you don't get it we can do something else."

Harry nodded, and watched as Remus flawlessly moved books to the shelves. Preparing himself again, he said the phrase; the book went a little closer to the shelf he was aiming at, but gravity still got the best of it.

He tried yet again; this time, after the book had fallen, Harry noticed he was feeling slightly dizzy. However, this wasn't the first time he had gotten a little sick after exerting some magic, and he didn't see any reason to be concerned over blurry vision. So he continued to attempt the spell, ignoring the cold sweat that was soon appearing on his face and the dark spots in his vision.

When the ringing in his ears began, however, he decided that he should probably say something.

"Er, Remus-" Harry said, staggering to a nearby chair and flopping down. "I'm feeling a little weird…"

"Harry?" Remus said, concern in his voice. "What's wrong?"

"Dizzy-" Harry slurred, noting with panic that a wave of nausea was coming; he really didn't want to vomit all over the floor. That would be a terrible way to start his first day living there.

Remus frowned. "Harry, try and keep your eyes open for me, alright?"

Harry did as he was told, and watched a blue light shoot at him from Remus's wand; he had little time to panic over the spell being cast at him, but he realized soon after that it was a diagnostic spell. Remus's frown deepened. Harry watched as, this time, Remus cast a full patronus. It was shaped like a wolf, and it prowled out of the room and back into the hallway.

"Patronus?" Harry asked, his world still spinning.

Remus nodded curtly. "In their full form, patronuses can send messages to people. I just sent one to Sirius - he'd have my neck if I didn't tell him what was happening."

"What is happening?" Harry asked, as Remus summoned a glass of water for him. Harry sipped at it gratefully, feeling the world begin to right itself.

"You've got a concussion," Remus said simply. "Not the end of the world, but I wish we had known last night before we sent you to bed… you could have gone into a coma. You should probably go to Madame Pomfrey when you stop feeling dizzy."

"Remus? Harry?" Sirius said from the foyer. Harry heard his footsteps approaching and after a moment, he appeared in the doorway. "What happened?" He came closer and sat on the arm of the chair Harry had occupied.

"I was trying to do that er, banishing spell, and I got really dizzy." Harry said, sitting up straighter. "I'm feeling okay now, just needed to rest."

Sirius looked at him with concern. "Remus said the diagnostic spell showed a concussion. How'd you get that?"

Harry thought back to yesterday, when his uncle had grabbed him by the hair and threw him into the hallway. He had hit his head pretty hard against the wall when that happened, so he was sure that was the reason behind his concussion; however, if Sirius and Remus knew that, they might force Harry to take them to court. "I… I don't really know," Harry mumbled, averting his eyes.

Sirius looked gravely at his godson, and Harry felt his heart constrict slightly. They had just talked about being honest with one another the night before, and Harry could tell neither Sirius nor Remus believed him. To his surprise, Sirius didn't press him. "Alright, well let's get to Hogwarts. I'll take you to Pomfrey and then go speak with Dumbledore."

Harry stared blankly at him. He really didn't want to go sit in the hospital wing, but he could tell Sirius wouldn't budge on the matter. He got up and followed the man towards the floo.

"You coming Remus?" Sirius asked, grabbing a handful of powder out of the nearby bucket.

"I'll stay here. I can finish up the library and start on lunch." Remus said, going back to the pile of books.

Sirius nodded and handed Harry the bucket. "You've flooed before, right?"

Harry nodded - he had flooed once, and it wasn't a great experience; he had somehow ended up in Knockturn Alley, a dangerous shopping street for dark magic, instead of Diagon Alley. However, he felt pretty confident he would do it correctly this time.

"You go first, then." Sirius said, gesturing towards the fireplace. Harry stepped in, called out "Hogwarts School!" and felt himself zooming through the floo. He flew out onto the floor in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore stood up from his desk, but did not look surprised to see him. Harry wondered if Sirius had sent him an owl that morning, or if Dumbledore just truly knew _everything._

"Harry," Dumbledore said in greeting as he stood up off the floor. "I was expecting to see Sirius. Is he coming?"

"Er-" Harry started, but before he could answer, the flames had turned green again. Sirius stepped out gracefully. He still looked grave, but he allowed a small smile to appear on his features when he saw his soot-covered godson. "You'll get used to it," he said, brushing a few ashes off Harry's shoulder. Then, he turned to Dumbledore. "I'm going to drop him off with Pomfrey and then I'll be back."

Dumbledore frowned - _maybe he doesn't know everything,_ Harry mused - but nodded nonetheless. "I'll wait here for you."

Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him out of the office. Harry looked at the man, confused. "Did he know you were coming?"

"Yeah, Remus flooed him last night when I left the house to get you. I'm sure he's not happy with me at the moment," Sirius said, removing his hand from Harry's shoulder as they went down the rotating staircase. "He'll have to deal with it though. The more time that passes, the more I realize how bad they really were."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, walking fast to keep up with his godfather's long strides.

"Well, last night I know your uncle pushed you over and kicked you… but I didn't hear your head hit anything. I think that would have been noticeable. So that means he hurt you another time besides last night. Am I correct in thinking that?" Sirius asked, giving Harry a knowing look.

Harry looked at his shoes and nodded. He should have known that Sirius would deduce this; again, he felt bad for lying, but for some reason, he was struggling to tell the man the truth when it came to his relatives. However, he knew Sirius expected some sort of explanation. "Remember how I said I had to clean the bathroom?" He mumbled.

"Yeah," Sirius said, looking at the boy with concern.

"I had cleaned it the first day I got there… I couldn't believe that he wanted me to do it again, and I told him that. He grabbed me and threw me against the wall and I hit my head pretty hard." Harry said, keeping his eyes on his shoes.

Sirius stopped abruptly - so abruptly, in fact, Harry had to backtrack, since he was speed-walking to keep up with the man. He looked at his godfather nervously, wondering what he would do. Before he could ask, however, he felt himself being pulled into an embrace. He was so shocked, he didn't know what to say; luckily, Sirius spoke for him. "I'm so sorry I ever let you step foot in that house, mate."

Harry swallowed thickly. "It's really okay, Dumbledore was the one-"

"I should have put my foot down." Sirius said, pulling back and putting his hands on Harry's shoulders. "The more I learn about them, the more I regret not telling Dumbledore no. I am so sorry I left you when you were a baby and got myself thrown in Azkaban… all of this would have been avoided."

"It was Pettigrew-" Harry tried to insist, though he choked on the words in his haste to say them; he didn't want Sirius to feel guilty about any of this. He didn't blame him for it, after all.

Sirius looked at the floor for a moment, then nodded. "It was Pettigrew, and the Dursleys… yet, I wish I hadn't let my emotions get the best of me that night." He started walking again, and Harry followed suit, listening intently. "If I hadn't, we wouldn't be just getting to know each other now… you would have lived with me your entire life, you would have known about magic, and, most importantly, you would trust me."

"I do trust you," Harry insisted. "The Dursley's are just… different."

Sirius nodded, but didn't say anymore on the matter; Harry could tell the topic wasn't closed though. He knew Sirius didn't believe him.

 _And why should he?_ Harry thought miserably. _You lied to him so many times, he has no way of knowing when you're telling him the truth._

Sirius stopped outside of the hospital wing and turned to Harry. He noticed the put-out expression on the boy's face, and softened a little. "I'm not upset with you, mate, I promise. We can talk more about it later."

Harry nodded, but didn't meet his godfather's eyes. He heard Sirius sigh and tentatively looked up.

The man had a pained expression in his haunted, grey eyes, but his features were schooled. "I'm going to go speak with Dumbledore. Let Madame Pomfrey take care of that concussion. I'll be back to get you when we finish talking."

Harry nodded, then walked into the hospital wing. He felt extremely uneasy about the whole situation, but before he could analyze it, Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. "Dumbledore said you were coming by. Here, sit."

Harry did as he was told, taking a seat on a proffered bed. Madame Pomfrey used the same spell that Remus had used on him earlier, and clucked her tongue at the results. "Were you hit in the head with a bludger?"

"No," Harry said glumly, not wanting to have this conversation with the matron.

Madame Pomfrey surveyed him for a moment, then nodded. "You don't have to tell me, Potter, though I am bound by patient confidentiality if you would like to share. Is there anything else I should know before I heal the concussion?"

Harry shook his head. Pomfrey nodded again, then waved her wand in multiple complex motions around him. She cast another diagnostic charm once she was finished and, satisfied with her work, summoned a few potions over. One, Harry recognized to be a nutrition potion, not unlike the potions Sirius sent him. The other was an unfamiliar bottle of something that had a sky blue color.

Noticing his questioning look, Madame Pomfrey picked up that potion first. "The diagnostic spell showed significant signs of stress - you're anxious about something. This is a calming draught. You wouldn't need much of it, but I think it might would help for you to have some."

"Did Sirius tell you I needed one or something?" Harry asked, feeling a little bit of resentment rise within him. Was this Sirius's way of getting him to agree to take the Dursley's to court? By drugging him?

To Harry's surprise, Madame Pomfrey smiled. "No, but if you would believe it, Lupin flooed in last night to get some for Black. I'm not sure why, but he was pretty worked up about something."

Harry felt guilt and shame replace the resentment - Sirius was upset about him last night. All the man had wanted to do this entire time was help him, and Harry's traitorous feelings were keeping him from doing that.

"Maybe I will take the calming potion, then," Harry said, accepting that he would need a hold on his emotions if he hoped to have a real conversation about his relatives with his godfather.

Harry accepted the potion she administered, then leaned back on the bed, resigning himself to wait for Sirius to return so they could have a much needed conversation.


	11. Opening Up

AN: Read and review! Also, if you follow my other story, I will be posting an update to You Raise Me Up soon :)

Sirius walked back up to Dumbledore's office, feeling glum. He wanted Harry to trust him enough to tell him about his past, both at Hogwarts and with his aunt and uncle; however, he knew from his own experience that it wasn't that easy. He had to be patient with Harry and let him come to him when he was ready; it was just really hard to do when Sirius was sitting around, waiting with open arms for the boy to trust him the way he did when he was a baby.

 _Oh Harry,_ Sirius thought glumly as he reached the stone gargoyle. He remembered the sweet, outgoing little boy Harry used to be, back before his parents were murdered in front of him. In another life, Sirius would have been "Uncle Padfoot." He could have spoiled him with presents and sweets, taken him for rides on his flying motorbike, and played quidditch with him. He wouldn't have had to be the disciplinary figure, and Harry would have trusted him unerringly.

 _Look what you did,_ Sirius thought bitterly as he stepped through Dumbledore's door. _Got yourself chucked into Azkaban and now you show up and act like you did nothing wrong-_

"Sirius," Dumbledore said, looking at the man with concern. "What's troubling you?"

Sirius looked up, taken out of his stupor. He hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings, and, truth be told, forgot why he was walking in the first place.

"We can discuss that later," Sirius said, the reason he had planned to see the headmaster in the first place returning to him. "I'm sure you're wondering why I took Harry from his relatives early."

Dumbledore nodded and motioned for Sirius to sit. Sirius moved to one of the chairs in front of the headmaster's desk and waited for the man to follow suit. Dumbledore looked at him intently, but he didn't seem angry. "I suppose I'm not really wondering why - I just wish you hadn't."

Sirius felt anger burning inside him. "So their son could keep using him as a punching bag? Or so they could keep starving him? What good is his family's protection if he's being weakened and harmed there?"

"I knew I was setting him up for a miserable life sending him there," Dumbledore said calmly, looking slightly guilty. "But Sirius, it would keep him _alive_ and that's what I needed to do. Growing up, he was away from any death eaters that would harm him or try and raise him to be the next dark lord. Now, he's protected from Voldemort - it's no good pretending Voldemort isn't out there, biding his time, either. He will return, and Harry will need to be protected."

"I will protect him!" Sirius said, standing up. Anger was coursing through his very limbs, engulfing him. How could Albus not see it the way he did?

"And what if you die?" Albus said quietly. "You are not immortal, and I'm sure you will be on the top of Voldemort's list of people to kill, especially because you are so close to Harry. What then?"

"I won't die," Sirius said, sparks shooting from his wand. "And if I do, I'll train him, I'll prepare him… I'll protect him. But he's not going back to those heavenous… those horrid… excuses for relatives."

"Do you think that you're letting your own past with your parents affect your decision?" Dumbledore said wisely, looking at Sirius with his deep blue eyes.

"No child," Sirius said fiercely, turning to him, "should be kept in an abusive home. No matter the reason."

"You would have rather him be happy for a year or so, until, god forbid, your crazed cousin got a hold of him? You would have rather him died at two years old than live a long life, with hope for a much happier future?" Dumbledore threw back at Sirius, keeping his voice quiet.

"He's safe with me," Sirius said standing in front of the desk, raising himself to his full height. Dumbledore stared up at him knowingly, and, after a moment, Sirius flopped in front of him, deflating a bit. "The cottage is unplottable. If things begin to get dangerous, which I agree, could definitely happen, then you can be the secret keeper and we'll go into hiding. I just won't let him go back."

Dumbledore stared at Sirius a moment, as if seeing him for the first time. "What exactly happened there?"

Sirius sighed. "I don't know the full extent. I know his uncle kicked him and gave him a concussion yesterday. Harry won't tell me much else… he doesn't trust me."

"Gave him a concussion?" Dumbledore asked, looking mildly surprised.

"Yes," Sirius said through gritted teeth. "I won't sit still when I know my godson is in danger, Albus. Nothing would have kept me from going early if I knew he was being hurt."

Dumbledore sighed. "I can't fault you for that… we'll just have to take a lot of precautions in the future now that the protection is broken. Now, why don't you think he trusts you?"

"I don't need a therapy session." Sirius said, running a tired hand through his hair, before sighing and giving in. "I don't know. He just won't tell me anything about the Dursleys."

"Do you expect him to?" Dumbledore asked. "After all, the only reason we found out about your parents was because of your horrifying boggart; if I recall correctly, you hadn't even told James."

Sirius looked at the ground guiltily. James had been worried sick when he did find out and had begged his parents to take Sirius for the summers; he had never blamed Sirius or accused him of not trusting him. Sirius needed to have the same patience for James' son. "You're right - but where do I draw the line? He wasn't going to tell me about the concussion, which could have been serious. What if he had gone into a coma last night?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I'm sure Poppy will do a full diagnostic exam and report to you. She'll heal any injuries that he may be keeping to himself. In terms of drawing the line… well, you're his guardian now. You need to decide when he's endangering himself and when he just needs time... I think right now, he needs time. I have a feeling that he'll tell you everything by the end of the summer."

"I don't know," Sirius mumbled, though the knot in his chest that he had been feeling since he dropped Harry off at the hospital wing was loosening a bit.

"It's obvious that he's cared a lot about you from the start. He wants to get to know you and spend time with you. Just focus on that and things will be fine." Dumbledore said wisely.

Sirius sat there, elbows on his knees, thinking about everything. Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts again, however. "Will you be taking the Dursley's to court?"

"Harry doesn't want me to… he wants the past behind him. I just hate to think they hurt him and are going to get away with it." Sirius said, straightening up.

"The past has a way of catching up to people, Sirius. They may not pay with jail time, but the time will come when they'll have to face their actions." Dumbledore said, turning to look out his window at the grounds.

"So you don't think I should push Harry to take them to court? Even if it's muggle court and the press wouldn't be around?" Sirius asked, anger burning in him again. He hated the injustice of it all.

"I think that they deserve retribution, and there is no doubt in my mind that Harry is brave enough to face it." Dumbledore said, turning back to him. "However, I don't think he wants to see them again in his life, even if it's for a moment. He has a new home with people who care for him - let him enjoy this summer in peace."

"This is coming from the man who put him with his relatives in the first place," Sirius said bitterly. "He would have been enjoying peaceful summers with people who cared about him a long time ago had you made a different decision."

"I told you, Sirius, I was trying to keep him alive." Dumbledore sighed. "You're blinded by your emotions - it's wonderful that you care so deeply for him, but he wouldn't be around for you to care for had he not gone to his aunt and uncle."

Sirius sat silently a moment, fuming. He didn't quite understand Lily's blood protection and, though he knew how nasty her sister was, he couldn't believe she'd be so horrid to her nephew. He didn't know what to think - on one hand, Dumbledore had a point. Harry deserved an enjoyable summer. On the other, he wanted Vernon Dursley behind bars, and surely Harry would want that too…

Sirius deflated as the truth of the matter seeped through his anger. He spoke softly. "Ultimately, it's Harry's decision whether or not he wants to take them to court. I won't pressure him about it. I'll focus this summer on healing the scars his relatives have left for almost fourteen years of his life." Sirius stood up and turned to the door. "And Albus - I respect you a lot, and I always will… I just don't know that I'll forgive you anytime soon for where you put my godson. I know you couldn't have given him to me when he was a baby, the evidence was entirely against me… but you could have at least found someone else and _you_ could have protected them. I know there would have been another way."

Then, with that, Sirius left through the office door and walked back towards the hospital wing. Truth be told, Sirius felt very bitter towards the headmaster. He couldn't believe that Albus wouldn't attempt to get him a trial after what happened that Halloween, especially when he found out that he had taken in Snape, who was a known death eater. Even if the man had believed that Sirius was guilty, he would have thought all his time in the Order would have gotten him a trial. He was sickened that so many people had been convinced that he had betrayed his best friend… his brother…

Sirius was brought out of his musings when he reached the hospital door. He remembered the tense conversation he had with his godson when he dropped him off… sighing, he pushed open the door and mentally prepared himself for a needed conversation.

He walked through the rows of beds, looking for his godson. He saw the familiar black hair sticking up in different directions off a nearby pillow and smiled when he found the boy sleeping. He moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed before gently shaking the boy's shoulder. "Harry, mate, it's time to go home."

Harry groaned and pressed his face further into his pillow. Sirius frowned and shook his shoulder again. "Come on, love, wake up. We have a whole day ahead of us and I still need to show you the surprise."

Harry, who was disoriented and thinking that he was still at Number Four, realized that his aunt would never call him "love." He opened his eyes and saw his godfather looking down at him, a bit concerned. Relief swept through him as he remembered the past twelve hours. Sirius smiled and handed him his glasses.

"You should have slept longer this morning if you were tired," Sirius said, standing up and helping the boy out of the hospital bed.

Harry, now fully remembering the conversation he had with his godfather less than an hour ago, blushed slightly. He needed to start being honest with the man - he owed it to him. "Er… Aunt Petunia used to make me cook them breakfast every morning. If I wasn't up on time or didn't make it correctly, I got in trouble. This morning I guess I just… forgot where I was, or misunderstood you last night when you said you would wake me for breakfast. I thought…"

Sirius frowned as his godson trailed off. He was surprised that Harry was opening up to him so quickly, especially after lying to him that very morning about his relatives. Now was not the time to ask him about it, though. "I meant what I said this morning, Harry. If you want to cook for yourself, you can. I will never deprive you of meals if you don't want to cook, and I will never ask for you to cook for me. I'm the guardian so I'll take care of you."

Harry smiled up at the man and nodded. "I know… I just should have been honest with you this whole time. I'm sorry for lying about my relatives."

Sirius shook his head as he guided him out of the hospital wing. "I shouldn't have made you feel bad for not telling me. I didn't tell anyone when I was a kid, so I knew exactly how you felt when I said that to you earlier. It was wrong of me… I just wanted to help you so badly, but I shouldn't have pressured you."

"I know you wanted to help me, which is why I should have said something sooner," Harry insisted. "It's just… no one's ever really asked. Ron's family have been there for me, but they've never actually sat me down and asked about my childhood. It's something I'll have to get used to…"

Sirius watched Harry a moment as they walked out of the entrance hall and onto the grounds. "You realize it's wrong, don't you? That you didn't deserve it?"

Harry didn't say anything for a moment. Slowly, he nodded. "I've known they've always hated me and I've always hated them. I guess I knew it was wrong, especially when I saw how Ron's parents treated him. I think I had just accepted it as a way of life though… especially since I didn't really know that you existed before this year. I thought I was stuck there until I left Hogwarts."

Sirius nodded, understanding exactly where the boy was coming from. "Well, it's not your way of life anymore, mate. I promise you that. And if you don't ever want to see them again, I'm not going to make you. You don't have to take them to court, and I shouldn't have mentioned that so soon after getting you last night. I was so angry on your behalf, I didn't think about how going to court would affect you."

Harry swallowed thickly. "I've… been thinking about that. I would love to see Uncle Vernon get his due, I really would… I just-"

"Want to forget about it all," Sirius finished for him. Harry nodded and looked up at the man. Sirius smiled. "That's fine, mate. If you decide you want to press charges, let me know. Otherwise, don't worry about it."

Harry grinned, then looked forward to where they were walking. "Where are we going?"

"Home," Sirius said simply. "We live on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. I figured we could take the scenic route, maybe pick up a few things in town before going home. I think Remus is cooking lunch for us."

"Okay," Harry said, walking faster. He had now been to Hogsmeade three times, if you counted the time he went under the invisibility cloak, and he was slowly discovering how much he enjoyed being there. Then, he remembered his favorite drink - butterbeer. "Could we stop at the three broomsticks?"

"You don't want what Remus is cooking?" Sirius questioned.

"No, no, I do!" Harry insisted. "I just wanted some butterbeer," he said sheepishly.

Sirius barked laughter and ruffled his godson's hair. "Course you can get one, let's go."

The two walked together in comfortable silence toward the Three Broomsticks. Harry went and got a booth and Sirius walked up to the bar to purchase the drinks.

Sirius walked back over with two butterbeers and set one down in front of his godson. "Drink up, mate. Once you finish with that, we'll go home and I'll show you the surprise."

Harry grinned. "It has something to do with quidditch doesn't it? I remember you said something about that when I was still at the Dursley's."

Sirius smirked and winked at him, but didn't say anything more on the matter. He took a big swig of his butterbeer and looked around the Three Broomsticks. It was empty save for a few groups of villagers who had come in for a bite to eat. He remembered coming here when he was a Hogwarts student - James and him used to flirt with Rosmerta to try and get a few free drinks. He smiled at the memory, but before he could recall further, Harry interrupted his train of thought.

"Did you ever play on the quidditch team at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, remembering the question he had been wanting answered since the train ride.

"Yeah," Sirius said with a nod. "I was a beater, actually. Sustained quite a few injuries playing that position. I was never as good as your father though, he was brilliant at it. He played chaser and was quidditch captain our fifth and sixth year."

"Why wasn't he quidditch captain seventh year? Was there someone else who did a better job?" Harry asked, bristling a little at the thought of his father losing his position as captain his last year.

Sirius snorted. "No, there definitely wasn't anyone _better._ Your father was picked as Head Boy our seventh year, and that's the only position you can have. You can be a prefect and quidditch captain, but you can't do anything besides Head Boy because it's such a large commitment. Truth be told, being picked as Head Boy is really what brought James and your mother together - she was Head Girl. Mrs. Potter was so thrilled for James, she would have never dreamed he'd get that position given our reputation for causing trouble."

"So, who was the quidditch captain that year? Did my dad have to give up quidditch?" Harry asked. Now that he had started, he realized he had so much he wanted to know about his parent's Hogwarts years.

Sirius chuckled. "I was the captain, actually. Mrs. Potter was pretty thrilled about that for me… she bought James and I both presents when our letters came in the mail seventh year. And no, your father didn't have to give it up, he just couldn't have the captain title any longer."

"Wow, really?" Harry said, grinning. "What was being captain like?"

Sirius shrugged. "Had to coordinate practices and plan strategies mostly. I'm surprised McGonagall picked me, to tell you the truth. I was known for having a nasty temper on the quidditch pitch - in my opinion that's what made me a good beater."

"If you played quidditch at Hogwarts, you were going easy on me last week," Harry said, shaking his head.

Sirius smirked. "Might have been… but you've got to remember, I haven't been on a broom in twelve years. I'm a little rusty."

"Well, let's have a rematch then," Harry said, determinedly.

Sirius chuckled and nodded. "As soon as we get some lunch, mate. I'm starving."

Both of them took final swigs of their butterbeer, then stood up to walk back outside. Sirius nodded a goodbye to Rosmerta as he followed his godson.

"So," Sirius started as they walked down the old cobblestone road, "your birthday is coming up this month. How would you like to celebrate?"

"I don't need anything big, Sirius," Harry started, only to be cut off by his godfather shaking his head.

"I know you don't _need_ anything big, but I want to give you the birthday of your dreams. If that means having Hermione and Ron over for a few hours, then so be it… but if you want to do something much bigger than that, I will set it up gladly." Sirius said, reaching out to ruffle Harry's hair.

The boy ducked and attempted to smooth his hair, mock glaring at Sirius, who was smirking. "Well… celebrating would be nice. Maybe the Weasley's could all come over and Hermione… Neville, Dean, and Seamus are my roommates, they might want to come as well."

Sirius nodded, "I can send an owl invitation whenever you would like. What about food? Or games? And most importantly, what would you like as a present?"

Harry felt slightly overwhelmed with all the questions - the Dursley's never even acknowledged his birthday, so this was very new to him. Yet, he appreciated that his godfather cared enough to ask him so far in advance. "Uh… I don't know about food. Whatever you think," He started shyly.

"Well, we'll have a flagon of butterbeer setup since that's your favorite drink. I'll make a treacle tart for you too, I know that's your favorite dessert. We'll need other kinds of food though, so if you think of anything you really want let me know. We don't need to know that until later anyway. What about the games and your present?" Sirius said thoughtfully, running a hand through his now short hair to brush his bangs out of his eyes.

"Er," Harry said, looking down at his feet. "I like quidditch a lot. I don't really know of any other wizard games to play at a party. It would mean a lot to just have everyone there with me, honestly."

Sirius smiled at him. "Don't worry, a few quidditch matches will definitely happen. If you think of anything else, we can try and throw it in there. You still haven't answered my last question though."

"You don't have to get me anything," Harry began to say, but Sirius shook his head again.

"That part's non-negotiable, mate. I'm getting you something regardless of whether or not you tell me what you want… so unless you want a bunch of new socks, you better start thinking." Sirius said with a grin.

"You already bought me the best broom on the market," Harry said, shaking his head. "I don't know that there's anything else I really want."

"Hmm…" Sirius said as they approached their cottage. "We'll have to go shopping in Diagon Alley, then. See if a trip in Quality Quidditch Supplies won't change your mind."

Harry grinned and rolled his eyes, allowing his godfather to ruffle his hair again as they walked into the front door of their cottage to continue their day of redecorating.


	12. Sirius Past

"Thanks for the lunch, professor." Harry said happily, moving his dish to the center of the table.

Sirius snorted and Remus gave him a look before turning to Harry. "You can call me Remus, Harry. I'm not your professor anymore, after all."

"Er, sorry," Harry said, smiling apologetically. "Force of habit, I guess."

"That's quite alright," Remus said, banishing the dishes to the sink and turning to Sirius, who was still laughing at Harry's slip up. "Get a grip, mate."

Harry felt his cheeks grow warm from embarrassment - despite Remus's encouragement, it felt weird to call someone he'd regarded as an authority figure by their first name. "I'm not laughing at you," Sirius hastened to assure him. "I just still can't believe Moony accepted the position of a Hogwarts professor, that's all."

Remus rolled his eyes and lightly wacked Sirius on the back of the head. Harry grinned at their banter. "He was actually the best professor we've had for the subject. And he wasn't all serious - what was that spell you did on Peeves, Prof-er- Remus?"

"Waddiwassee, probably," Sirius said with a grin.

"That's the one," Remus said, chuckling. "I felt that the students needed to know how to defend themselves against the pesky poltergeist."

"No doubt," Sirius said, nodding. "He caught us planning pranks loads of times and alerted nearby professors. The number of detentions we got because of him was astounding."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Huh, that's weird. I've never seen Peeves work for the professors like that."

"Oh, he wasn't working for the professors," Remus said, rolling his eyes at the thought. "Peeves just wants to cause trouble for anyone he meets as he wanders the corridors. He'd tell the professors on us, then go and pull a prank on one of them himself."

"Very counterintuitive," Sirius said with a nod. "If he would have let us just prank the professors, he would have had much more time to go and bother other people."

Harry laughed at his godfather's logic as Remus checked his watch.

"I'd better head on out." Remus said, standing up from the kitchen table. "Dumbledore wants to meet with me about my lesson plans this past year - he's hoping they can be used in the future with whoever takes my place. I'll be back around dinner to finish up the last few rooms, yeah?"

"See you," Sirius said, watching as he walked out of the kitchen. "I'm going to go add the finishing touches on the surprise outside. Why don't you go see if there's anything left to do in the library, and I'll come get you when it's ready?"

"Okay," Harry said, standing and following his godfather into the foyer.

"I should have it done in about ten minutes," Sirius said with a wink, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Harry turned down the other hallway and walked to the library, hoping he was in good enough health this time around to finish his task.

The room looked significantly different than it had that morning. Books of all subjects adorned the shelves, and cool, defensive artifacts lined the walls. Harry was examining what appeared to be a silvery glass with dark shadows in it, when a different object caught his eye.

There in the corner was a shimmery, mercury-like substance. Harry had seen it earlier when they had been decorating, but at the time he thought it nothing more than a strange piece of furniture. Now, he wasn't so sure.

It shimmered again, beckoning him closer. He looked behind him, waiting to see if his godfather would come through the door and tell him what it was. When he didn't appear after a moment, Harry's curiosity got the best of him. He stepped closer and peered inside the weird object. He knew from previous experience with magical objects that this was nothing to play around with; however, he trusted that his godfather wouldn't put anything incredibly dangerous in their house. Bending over, Harry noticed a strange formation within the object's shimmery liquid.

He moved closer, hoping to get a look at the funny images, then felt his entire world tilt - he was falling inside.

Down he fell, deep into the strange object. He landed on his stomach into an unfamiliar, dark room. Righting himself, he was startled to notice that the walls had beheaded house elves hanging on them, though they definitely looked different than Dobby. They had more prominent, snouted noses and looked significantly grumpier than his friend. He started to look down the nearest hallway, hoping to find someone to explain what was happening; however, the front door banged open behind him at that moment, and he turned quickly to see who was entering.

"You were supposed to be watching him!" A tall, elegant looking woman shrieked at a teenage boy, who walked defiantly in front of her. A younger boy who looked extremely similar to the first walked behind her, his head hung in shame.

"I _was_ watching him," the first boy, who Harry realized was a younger version of his godfather, scoffed. "I told him to go talk to her, she seemed nice."

Harry, who was thoroughly confused, noted that his godfather was grinning and the shrieking woman looked furious. He went to speak up, feeling as though he was intruding, but the younger boy spoke first.

"I-It's not his fault, mum. I told him I wanted to speak to her… I thought-"

"Thought what?" The lady yelled, turning on the smaller boy. "Thought you could be friends with a _muggle?_ Just because _he-"_ the woman gestured wildly at Sirius, "is slandering the family name, doesn't mean you should. Have his punishments taught you nothing? Maybe we should punish you instead!"

"No!" Sirius shouted, moving in front of the younger boy and pulling him behind him, out of the woman's reach. "Don't hurt him, it really was my fault. I told him that there's nothing wrong with muggles. And there's not - I met one with James over the Easter holidays that was bloody gorgeous. I considered asking her out on a date."

Harry looked at the defiant smirk on his young godfather's face and felt a twinge of panic - Sirius was clearly baiting the woman, and she didn't look like the type to be messed with.

As predicted, this seemed to hit a major nerve with his mother. She shrieked and pulled out her wand. Sirius's eyes widened and he pushed the younger boy further behind him - he fell right through Harry, who had moved closer to observe the scene.

The people couldn't see him at all, Harry noticed - it reminded him of the time he was sucked into Tom Riddle's diary. He shivered at the thought, but was taken out of his own memory by the words of the shrieking woman.

" _Crucio!_ " She yelled, pointing her wand at his godfather. Sirius fell to the floor, a look of great pain on his face, yet he didn't call out.

"No, mummy, please! He didn't do anything!" The younger boy yelled, hiding his face from the scene.

"Silence!" She shouted, not lifting the curse off of his godfather. "Do you want the pain to end, Sirius? You know what I expect of you."

His godfather rolled on the ground for a moment and managed to force out a "never," in response to his mother's comment. The woman smiled for the first time since Harry had started watching. She thrusted her wand again, and based on Sirius's facial expression, the pain increased. "If I tell you to beg, you beg."

Harry watched in horror as the boy rolled on the ground, his face contorted in pain. It seemed as though it would never end - he had never heard of this curse before, but judging by the cold sweat on his younger godfather's forehead, he imagined it wasn't an enjoyable thing to endure.

Harry was so invested in the memory that he didn't notice a second person had joined him; he called out in surprise when a firm hand landed on his shoulder. Turning, he saw his godfather, in present time, looking at him grimly, though he didn't seem angry. "Let's get out of here, this memory doesn't get any happier."

Harry felt himself being lifted upwards and, feeling as though he had done a flip, landed on the hardwood floor of their library. Harry staggered backwards, out of his godfather's firm grip. "I- I…" Harry swallowed and righted himself when he noticed the calm look on his godfather's face. "I'm sorry," Harry mumbled, looking down.

"Nah, don't be." Sirius said with a shrug, and Harry looked up at him in surprise. "I left it out in the open, of course you would be curious about it. I should have waited to put my memories in it until I had stowed it in my office… I just, er, don't like to have them in my head if I can help it, especially after relieving those memories in Azkaban." He shuddered slightly.

Harry wasn't sure what to say - he didn't want to pry, but he had so many questions. He stared into the man's eyes, his mouth gaping open slightly, trying to decide whether he had the nerve to ask the question he so desperately wanted answered.

Sirius smiled sadly. "I suppose you want to know what that memory was?"

Harry nodded slightly. "I think my first question though, is what is that thing?" He pointed at the silvery basin from which they had just emerged.

Sirius looked slightly taken aback. "You've never seen a pensieve before? I'm surprised you figured out how to work it."

"Well, I, er-kind of fell inside it." Harry mumbled sheepishly.

Sirius chuckled slightly, sitting on the edge of an arm of a nearby chair and gesturing for Harry to sit on the couch. "Yes, that is the general idea. Well, as I said, it's a pensieve. It's meant to hold memories - if your head is feeling a bit cramped, you can stow old memories away in it and peruse it whenever you'd like. It's also very useful for sharing memories with other people. I was planning to use it with you later this summer so you could see some of my memories of James and Lily."

Harry flushed guiltily. "I'm really sorry-"

Sirius shook his head. "Don't be, really mate. It's not a big deal. Now that memory…" He trailed off and turned to look out the window for a moment. "I believe I was about twelve… which would have made my brother ten. I had been away for my first year of Hogwarts and was home for the summer. My mother was absolutely livid about my sorting. They had, of course, expected me to be in Slytherin. After all, my entire family had been in that house, and they considered all the other houses to be disgraceful. I was thinking at the time, _wrongly_ , might I add, that my younger brother would follow in my footsteps and be sorted into Gryffindor. You saw in the memory - he was brave. He stood up to our mother for me, and if you'd met her, you'd understand that's not the easiest thing to do. I protected him and tried to mentor him, but in the end he was sorted into Slytherin and brain-washed like the rest of my family."

Harry noticed the sad tone in his godfather's voice and contemplated whether or not he should ask the next question. Sirius looked at him expectantly, so he decided to pursue the subject. "What happened to your brother? I've never heard you talk about him."

"He died," Sirius said glumly. "Idiot… he joined the death eaters."

"You're kidding!" Harry exclaimed, surprised. He had a hard time picturing the innocent, young boy in Sirius's memory joining forces with Voldemort.

Sirius shook his head, looking more glum than ever. "We were close when we were kids, but things took a turn for the worst after he was officially sorted into Slytherin. We started arguing all the time and he turned out to be the _better_ son, as I was reminded time and time again. He's the main reason I ran away - it felt as though he betrayed me."

Harry nodded understandingly, wondering what it would be like to have a sibling that was so against everything you believed in; before he could pursue that idea further, a new question popped into his head. "What curse did she use on you? It looked painful."

At this, Sirius averted his eyes. "The cruciatus curse," he mumbled after a moment. "It's an unforgivable curse… you won't learn that until your NEWTs, I'm sure, but essentially, there are three different curses that you can go to Azkaban for. One of them is the cruciatus, better known as the torture curse. It's an unbearable pain and it was one of my mother's favorites. I'm surprised she never sent me into insanity like the poor Longbottom's."

"Longbottom's?" Harry asked, remembering his roommate Neville. "Are they related to Neville Longbottom?"

Sirius had the same look on his face that Hagrid got whenever he realized he had said too much. "Er, yes. They're his parents. Has Neville not mentioned any of this?"

"No," Harry said, surprised to hear that his friend's parents had gone insane due to this strange curse. "He's always said that he lived with his Gran, but he's never told us why."

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He should be the one to tell you this, but since the cat's out of the bag… you remember me mentioning my cousin Bellatrix Lestrange? I told you she was a Death Eater?"

Harry nodded, paying rapt attention.

"Well, her husband and her were furious after you stopped Voldemort. They wanted to know where he had gone and what had happened to him. They were trying to track down members of the Order of the Phoenix - a secret society Dumbledore had formed to fight Voldemort," Sirius explained at Harry's confused look. "Both of your parents, as well as Remus and I, were a part of it."

"Was Peter?" Harry asked after a moment.

Sirius's eyes darkened, but he nodded. "Yes, he was, which is why he was valuable to Voldemort. He was passing top secret information from the Order to the other side. Anyway, by the time you stopped Voldemort, most of the Order had either been killed or were untrackable. I was in prison, Dumbledore was much too powerful to be overcome by a few death eaters, and James and Lily were dead. The only people left to give information, or so they thought, were the Longbottom's. They were an integral part of the Order and were celebrated aurors."

"What's an auror?" Harry asked, fascinated.

"A dark wizard catcher in the ministry. Your father and I were in auror training when your family had to go into hiding. I quit when your father did - without James, it just didn't seem right, and my Uncle Alphard had left me enough gold to be getting on with for a time. Anyway, Alice Longbottom, Neville's mum, was a good friend of your mother's. They were roommates at Hogwarts. Frank, Neville's dad, was getting a lot of valuable information at the Order meetings and had put away a lot of dark wizards. They were obvious targets for Bellatrix and her gang. She and a few other accused Death Eaters tortured them into insanity trying to get information out of them." Sirius finished sadly.

Harry was horrified - people always pitied him for being an orphan, but he felt now that Neville deserved the compassion more than he did. "Wow, that's… awful."

"Yeah, it is awful. I'm sure Neville goes to visit them at St. Mungo's, the wizard hospital, pretty often. Don't mention it to him, alright? If he hasn't said anything yet, that means he's not ready for people to know. He deserves to tell people on his own time, yeah?" Sirius said firmly.

Harry nodded. "Of course."

Sirius smiled and nodded in return. "Right. Anything else you want to know, you little miscreant?"

Harry grinned a little, but the smile fell from his face when he remembered the original reason they were having this conversation. "Why was your family so horrible to you?"

Sirius's grin slipped away too. "I… I guess because they were so set in their ways; they felt as though I was betraying and embarrassing them."

"Parents are supposed to love you, though. Even my aunt and uncle, as terrible as they were to me, loved Dudley." Harry explained.

Sirius smiled another sad smile. "Well, yes, they are. But Dudley met your aunt and uncle's expectations for a son. Imagine if Dudley had been magical - how do you think they would have reacted?"

Harry snorted at the thought. "Well, nothing with Uncle Vernon's blood could be magical, that's for sure. But you're right, that might change things. Although they worship the floor Dudley walks on, maybe him being magical would change their perspective."

Sirius shrugged. "Who knows, anyway. Moony will be back soon. Why don't you come with me so I can finally show you what I've been slaving over this past week?"

Harry nodded, grinning, and followed the man out of the library. He didn't feel as though all his questions had been answered, but he could tell from his godfather's tense demeanor that the conversation was over for now.


End file.
